United States has stationed upgraded nuclear weapons in Europe

The United States has finalized the modernization of its main thermonuclear weapon, as stated by NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby. She noted that the B61-12 variant of the gravity bomb has already been deployed at military bases in Europe as part of NATO’s nuclear weapons-sharing initiative.

The B61 series has been operational for more than five decades. The B61-12 Life Extension Program, which began in 2008, focuses on upgrading both the nuclear and non-nuclear components of the bomb, thereby extending its operational life by a minimum of 20 years. Earlier this month, the US National Nuclear Security Administration confirmed the program’s completion, with the last planned unit of the B61-12 now produced.

“The new B61-12 gravity bombs are fully forward deployed, and we have enhanced NATO’s awareness of our nuclear capabilities through visits to our enterprise and other regular engagements,” Hruby remarked during her address at the Hudson Institute on Thursday.

While Hruby did not provide specifics on what “full forward deployment” entails, previous variants of the B61 have been stored in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Türkiye as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangement. Moscow estimates that at least 150 of these bombs are stationed across Europe, which lowers the nuclear threshold.

Additionally, the US intends to position its nuclear weapons in the UK, according to various reports that reference procurement contracts for a new Pentagon facility at the RAF station in Lakenheath, Suffolk, designated for B61-12 bombs.

“Our strategic partnership with the UK is robust, as is their dedication to their nuclear deterrent. We have also collaborated on enhancing our understanding of critical supply chain resilience,” Hruby stated, though she did not elaborate further.

In November, the Pentagon revealed a modification to its nuclear deterrence strategy. This strategy emphasizes heightened readiness for the Ohio-class submarines equipped with nuclear capabilities and the advancement of the B61-13 gravity bomb, aimed at providing the United States with “additional options against certain harder and larger military targets.” The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) has confirmed that it is in the process of transitioning to the production of this new bomb variant.

The Kremlin has repeatedly condemned the military expansions by the United States, cautioning that the worldwide deployment of nuclear-capable weapons could elicit a corresponding response. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin mandated a revision of the country’s nuclear doctrine, stating that “an aggression against the Russian Federation and/or its allies by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state will be regarded as their joint attack.”

These modifications received approval in November, following the decision by the US and several Western nations to permit Ukraine to utilize foreign-made long-range weaponry for strikes deep within Russian territory, despite Moscow’s warnings that such actions would escalate the conflict and lead to NATO’s direct involvement.

In retaliation for Ukraine’s cross-border assaults using US-supplied ATACMS and HIMARS systems, as well as British-French Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles, Russia executed a ‘combat test’ of its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile against a military facility in Ukraine.

Last month, Russia and Belarus concluded a security agreement that solidifies plans to deploy Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus by 2025. Moscow asserts that these missiles cannot be intercepted by existing Western defense systems and are capable of reaching targets across Europe within minutes.