Important Takeaways:
- First Picture of B61-12 Nuclear Bomb Trainer On An F-16 In Europe Surfaces
- A picture has emerged showing an F-16 Viper fighter that appears to be sitting at Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands with an inert training version, or “shape,” of the B61-12 nuclear gravity bomb under its wing. This offers a rare glimpse into the ongoing work to field America’s latest nuclear bomb in Europe as part of NATO’s nuclear sharing agreements.
- Volkel is one of several bases in Europe where the U.S. military keeps B61s, which could be released to select NATO members for use on their aircraft
- It is not surprising that preparations to deploy these weapons in Europe have already been going on for years now and other evidence of this has previously emerged.
- Polish authorities have been particularly open about their interest in at least hosting U.S. nuclear weapons in the future. Poland shares a border with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad enclave, the latter of which at least has facilities to support the deployment of nuclear weapons, if they aren’t actually in place there now.
- The picture of the F-16 with the B61-12 shape under its wing, likely taken at Volkel Air Base, only further underscores that NATO very much remains a nuclear alliance and that its members are actively working toward being able to employ new capabilities in this regard.
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