Upgraded B61-12 nuclear bombs will appear in Europe sooner than expected
Although the modernization concerns non-nuclear components, according to some experts, such a decision could have ‘unintended consequences’. The United States has decided to speed up the deployment of a modernized version of its B61-12 nuclear bomb at NATO bases in Europe, Politico reported, citing a US diplomatic cable and two of its own sources.
Yes, if earlier the US planned to deploy a modernized bomb in the spring of 2023, now this event is planned for December of this year – this is what US officials told their NATO allies during a closed meeting in Brussels, Belgium. The modernized version will replace the old weapons in warehouses in Europe. Such a decision by the US came as a surprise to some observers who feared that it could only exacerbate the situation in Europe.
In particular, the director of the Nuclear Information Project of the Federation of American Scientists, Hans Christensen, noted that the hasty replacement of nuclear bombs seems strange and noted that ‘they [presumably the US] said that we do not respond to this situation with nuclear weapons’, implying that the US deploy B61-12 in response to Russian nuclear blackmail.
However, there is an opinion that the US decision to replace the bombs with modernized ones may be aimed primarily at European allies who feel vulnerable in relation to the Russian Federation, and not directly at Russia.
Tom Collina, director of policy for the disarmament group Plowshares Fund, opined: ‘There are already B61s. The Russians know that. They [the bombs] work great. The new ones will be newer, but there won’t be much difference. But it might reassure allies when they feel threat from the Russian Federation’. But he also warns that even ‘modest’ actions involving nuclear weapons can have unintended consequences.
Actually speaking of the upgraded B61-12 nuclear bomb, it is worth noting that all the updates are related to non-nuclear components, including the removal of the parachute, a new tail assembly, as well as improvements to improve the accuracy of the bomb.
As of 2021, this bomb is stored in five countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Turkey), in which approximately 150 units of this weapon are located at six bases.
