Outdated, unwanted, US nukes hang on in Europe

[unhappycamper]

Outdated, unwanted, US nukes hang on in Europe
By CHARLES J. HANLEY
AP Special Correspondent
May 10, 12:00 AM EDT

KLEINE BROGEL AIR BASE, Belgium (AP) -- Unseen beyond the grazing Holsteins and rolling pastures of eastern Belgium, the 12-foot-long tapered metal cylinders sit in their underground vaults, waiting for the doomsday call that never came. Each packs the power of many Hiroshimas.

America's oldest nuclear weapons, unwanted, outdated, a legacy of the 20th century, are now the focus of a political struggle that could shake the NATO alliance in the 21st.

The questions hanging over the B-61 bombs, an estimated 200 of them on six air bases across Europe, relate not just to why they're still here, but to how safe and secure they are.

For one thing, al-Qaida terrorists have already targeted this Belgian air base 84 kilometers (52 miles) northeast of Brussels. For another, U.S. Air Force inspectors found inadequate security at most of the six sites. And three months ago a "bombspotter" team, anti-nuclear activists, penetrated nearly one kilometer (a half-mile) inside Kleine Brogel, reaching its innermost bunkers.

"It was a shock," Theo Kelchtermans, mayor of the neighboring town of Peer, said of the protesters' infiltration, which went unchallenged for an hour. His bottom line: "I hope these bombs will disappear."



unhgappycamper comment: Wanna quick peek at the B-61?



B61 bomb in various stages of assembly. The nuclear component is the smaller silver cylinder behind the nose cone.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B61_nuclear_bomb

~snip~

The B61 is a variable yield bomb designed for carriage by high-speed aircraft. It has a streamlined casing capable of withstanding supersonic flight speeds. The weapon is 11 ft 8 in (3.58 m) long, with a diameter of about 13 in (33 cm). Basic weight is about 700 lb (320 kg), although the weights of individual weapons may vary depending on version and fuze/retardation configuration.

The newest variant is the B61 Mod 11, a hardened penetration bomb with a reinforced casing (according to some sources, containing depleted uranium) and a delayed-action fuze, allowing it to penetrate several metres into the ground before detonating, damaging fortified structures further underground.<3> The Mod 11 weighs about 1,200 lb (540 kg). Developed from 1994, the Mod 11 went into service in 1997 replacing the older megaton-yield B53 bomb, a limited number of which had been retained for anti-fortification use. About 50 Mod 11 bombs have been produced, their warheads converted from Mod 7 bombs. At present, the primary carrier for the B61 Mod 11 is the B-2 Spirit.

Most versions of the B61 are equipped with a parachute retarder (currently a 24-ft (7.3 m) diameter nylon/Kevlar chute) to slow the weapon in its descent. This offers the aircraft a chance to escape the blast, or allows the weapon to survive impact with the ground in laydown mode. The B61 can be set for airburst, ground burst, or laydown detonation, and can be released at speeds up to Mach 2 and altitudes as low as 50 feet (15 m). Fusing for most versions is by radar.

The B61 is a variable yield, kiloton-range weapon called "Full Fuzing Option"(FUFO) or "Dial-a-yield" by many service personnel. Tactical versions (Mods 3, 4, and 10) can be set to 0.3, 1.5, 5, 10, 60, 80, or 170 kiloton explosive yield (depending on version). The strategic version (B61 Mod 7) has four yield options, with a maximum of 340 kilotons. Sources conflict on the yield of the earth-penetrating Mod 11; the physics package or bomb core components of the Mod 11 are apparently unchanged from the earlier strategic Mod 7, however the declassified 2001 Nuclear Posture Review <4> states that the B-61-11 has only a single yield; some sources indicate 10 kt, others suggest the 340 kiloton maximum yield as the Mod-7.

The early Mods 0, 1, 2, and 5 have been retired (Mods 6, 8, and 9 were cancelled before production), and the Mod 10 has been moved to the inactive stockpile, leaving the Mods 3, 4, 7, and 11 as the only variants in active service.

The U.S. intended to refurbish the B61 bombs under its Life Extension Program with the intention that the weapons should remain operational until at least 2025.<5>

However the United States Congress ordered that this work be stopped pending reports from the National Academy of Sciences and JASON defense advisory panel.<6>

[Statistical]

1. I never really understood this

We have roughly 500 land based ICBM (de-mirved recently to comply with treaties so "only" 1 warhead per ICBM). They can hit a target anywhere in the world in an hour with pinpoint accuracy, the silos can only be destroyed by an enemy nuke (giving plenty of time to launch before being struck), and the weapon simply can not be stopped by enemy forces once launched.

To compliment that we have 14 "boomers" (deep diving, virtually undetectable ballistic submarines). Of those 14, US strategic doctrine keeps at least 9 at seas at all times 24/7/365. Each sub has 2 entire crews so that the physical boat can spend 11+ months out at sea a year (excluding retrofits). Each ohio class boomer each deliver 60+ 300-475kt warheads. Note that number is limited only by US-Russian treaties. Technically each Boomer can carry 288 warheads.

The third axis of the triangle is hundreds of long range high speed nuclear cruise missile which can be dropped by dozens from strategic bombers well outside enemy airspace. This is considered the weakest because aircraft can be destroyed before launching to stop nuclear release.

I mean even if you accept the US "needs" nuclear weapons with these two highly defensible weapon systems (ICBM, SLBM) there is no need for ancient gravity bombs to be stored in Europe. There is virtually no situation involving nuclear weapons that couldn't be "resolved" by ICBM or SLBM. If theoretically there was US based aircraft with nuclear cruise missiles could reach the target relatively quickly.

So why the fuck do we keep aging gravity bombs (think WWII) in bases in Europe?

The scary thing is US Strategic command has a codename and response plan for the worst case scenario:
"Pinnacle - Empty Quiver refers to the seizure, theft, or loss of a functioning nuclear weapon."

[unhappycamper]

2. IMO, it's to keep the locals 'safe'.

Whatever that means. :shrug: