On April 3, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) released a report that included a photo of a severely damaged US nuclear bomb at a Dutch airbase.
The report has US scientists concerned about the possibility of a nuclear weapons incident at Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands.
The bomb in the photo was identified as a B61 bomb, and was being inspected for damage by US soldiers, including two people from the bomb disposal team and a civilian employee.
Based on the images, the rear of the bomb appears to have been twisted by the impact and one of the tail fins is missing. Pink tape was placed over a hole that was plugged at the top of the bomb.
The report said the image was shown during a presentation for students applying for jobs at the Los Alamos National Laboratory, a nuclear weapons facility in New Mexico.
The photo shows service members inspecting what appears to be a damaged B61 nuclear bomb. (Photo: Federation of American Scientists)
The image is geolocated as Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands. The site is one of six US nuclear bases in five European countries.
Initially, the US Air Force and Los Alamos National Laboratory did not comment on the photo. However, the Pentagon later clarified that it was a mock weapon used in a training exercise.
“At every military installation, we have a response team and they train together,” said Pentagon spokesman Oscar Seara. “That’s what happened, the photo is of a simulated bomb.”
A spokesman for US Air Forces in Europe declined to comment directly on the photo.
B61 nuclear bomb.
However, the spokesperson noted that the United States adheres to the highest standards for personnel and equipment supporting the strategic arsenal. This includes training, maintenance, and routine security activities to ensure the safety and protection of critical U.S. assets.
B61 nuclear bomb
The B61 is a family of nuclear bombs created in the 1960s and tested in underground nuclear experiments in the state of Nevada. Over the years, about 12 variants of the bomb have been developed, but most of them have been decommissioned.
There are about 100 B61 nuclear gravity bombs stored in European countries, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Türkiye.
F-35 with B61 nuclear bomb.
Although the US owns the B61 bomb, aircrews from NATO member countries including Greece, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Italy and Türkiye are also trained to load and transport them.
The US President, the NATO Nuclear Planning Commission and the UK Prime Minister must jointly approve before nuclear weapons are transferred to allied aircraft in the event of hostilities.
Nuclear sharing is carried out annually during NATO's Steadfast Noon exercise. Poland also requested to participate in the exercise after Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine.
For a long time, nuclear arms control advocates have argued that the B61 is no longer militarily useful and should be removed from Europe as a measure of peace.
The Obama administration considered phasing out the B61 but faced opposition from some European allies, who saw it as a symbol of America's nuclear protection for them.
Le Hung (Source: The Eurasian Times)
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