Showing posts with label B61. Show all posts
Showing posts with label B61. Show all posts
Saturday, October 15, 2022
NATO'S Nuclear Forces To Be Tested in Steadfast Noon 2022
From 17 to 30 October 2022,NATO'S nuclear forces will hold their annual deterrence exercise,Steadfast Noon.It always takes place in the autumn,and up to sixty aircraft will take part from fourteen NATO Allies,practising scenarios related to the deployment and delivery on a target of a tactical nuclear weapon,the US B61,the latest version of which,the B61-12,was to go into full production in May 2022.Besides the conventional/nuclear Dual-Capable Aircraft (DCA),strictly conventional planes will also participate under NATO'S Support of Nuclear Operations With Conventional Air Tactics (SNOWCAT) programme.The SNOWCAT aircraft include Intelligence,Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) types and air refueling tankers,as well as conventional only fighter jets.The DCAs include the F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter;F-16C/D and up Fighting Falcon;Panavia 200 Tornado (Germany and Italy);F-22 Raptor;F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet;F-15E Strike Eagle;B-2 Spirit;and B-52H Stratofortress.The new B-21 Raider will be a DCA as well.*
On 14 October,NATO'S Nuclear Planning Group (NPG) met on the sidelines of the Defence Ministerial in Brussels,Belgium.The proceedings are classified,but deal with any aspect of NATO'S nuclear deterrence programme,which is based on a dual key arrangement between the US and Allies Belgium,Germany,Italy,the Netherlands and Turkey.The US stores B61s in underground bunkers on air bases of the five respective Allies.All Allies except France take part in the NPG,which France has chosen not to participate in.*
The drills will cover a large area,from host nation Belgium to the North Sea and UK.A different country is host each year.All participants work to ensure that NATO'S nuclear deterrent is safe,secure and effective.Under NATO'S new Strategic Concept,the fundamental purpose of NATO'S nuclear capability is to preserve peace,prevent coercion and deter aggression.As long as nuclear weapons exist,NATO will remain a nuclear Alliance.*
On the air bases,the participants will practise the transport of the B61 up from its underground bunker and the mounting of it beneath the DCA.The bulk of the drills will take place more than 100 km/650 mi from Russia.Nuclear strike missions will be simulated,but no actual nuclear bombs will be utilised.*
The B61 is 12 ft long and weighs 825 pounds.Its maximum explosive power is estimated to be 50 kilotons of TNT, but its yield can be reduced as needed.*
Tuesday, July 3, 2018
Testing of B61 Upgrade Continues in Nevada on B-2 Bombers - NATO nuclear deterrent
On 9 June 2018,an upgrade of the B61 guided nuclear gravity bomb,the B61-12,was tested on a US Air Force B-2A Spirit bomber at the high security Tonopah Test Range,Nevada.The B61 is stored on NATO bases in Europe under a dual key arrangement.
In the course of the two flight tests,an unarmed B61-12 test assembly was released from the B-2,according to a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) press release.The NNSA,which is part of the Department of Energy,designed the test assembly and the US Air Force provided the Boeing tail assembly.According to BGEN Michael Lutton,NNSA Assistant Deputy Administrator for Military Application:
The flight tests demonstrate the B61-12 design meets system requirements and illustrate the continued progress of the B61-12 life extension program to meet national security requirements.The achievement is also a testament to the dedication of our workforce and the enduring partnership between NNSA and the US Air Force.*
Conducting the tests was the 419th Test and Evaluation Squadron out of Edwards Air Force Base,California.The tests were the first end-to-end qualification tests on a B-2A Spirit for the B61-12.They were part of a series of joint tests to demonstrate both the aircraft's ability to deliver the weapon and the weapon's non-nuclear functions.The flight tests included hardware designed by the Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory and manufactured by Nuclear Security Enterprise plants.
The B61 LEP will consolidate and replace the existing B61 bomb variants in the Nation's nuclear stockpile.The first production unit is on schedule for completion in fiscal 2020,NNSA said.*
NATO Allies Belgium,Germany,Italy,the Netherlands and Turkey host the current B61 variants on their bases.Panavia PA-200 Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike) and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft are the authorised Allied delivery aircraft for these legacy weapons.
Besides the B-2A and the F-16C/D and MLU,another aircraft that can deliver the current B61 variants is the F-15E Strike Eagle.In future,the F-35 Lightning II and B-21 Raider will be able to deliver the B61.*
The B61s are guarded by US Air Force personnel and stored in vaults within hardened Protective Aircraft Shelters on the NATO bases.Their Permissive Action Links,or codes that enable the weapons to be armed,are in US custody.NATO's Nuclear Planning Group oversees the Alliance's nuclear deterrent.The annual NATO nuclear exercise,Steadfast Noon,is held in the autumn.
In the course of the two flight tests,an unarmed B61-12 test assembly was released from the B-2,according to a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) press release.The NNSA,which is part of the Department of Energy,designed the test assembly and the US Air Force provided the Boeing tail assembly.According to BGEN Michael Lutton,NNSA Assistant Deputy Administrator for Military Application:
The flight tests demonstrate the B61-12 design meets system requirements and illustrate the continued progress of the B61-12 life extension program to meet national security requirements.The achievement is also a testament to the dedication of our workforce and the enduring partnership between NNSA and the US Air Force.*
Conducting the tests was the 419th Test and Evaluation Squadron out of Edwards Air Force Base,California.The tests were the first end-to-end qualification tests on a B-2A Spirit for the B61-12.They were part of a series of joint tests to demonstrate both the aircraft's ability to deliver the weapon and the weapon's non-nuclear functions.The flight tests included hardware designed by the Sandia National Laboratories and Los Alamos National Laboratory and manufactured by Nuclear Security Enterprise plants.
The B61 LEP will consolidate and replace the existing B61 bomb variants in the Nation's nuclear stockpile.The first production unit is on schedule for completion in fiscal 2020,NNSA said.*
NATO Allies Belgium,Germany,Italy,the Netherlands and Turkey host the current B61 variants on their bases.Panavia PA-200 Tornado IDS (Interdictor/Strike) and F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft are the authorised Allied delivery aircraft for these legacy weapons.
Besides the B-2A and the F-16C/D and MLU,another aircraft that can deliver the current B61 variants is the F-15E Strike Eagle.In future,the F-35 Lightning II and B-21 Raider will be able to deliver the B61.*
The B61s are guarded by US Air Force personnel and stored in vaults within hardened Protective Aircraft Shelters on the NATO bases.Their Permissive Action Links,or codes that enable the weapons to be armed,are in US custody.NATO's Nuclear Planning Group oversees the Alliance's nuclear deterrent.The annual NATO nuclear exercise,Steadfast Noon,is held in the autumn.
Thursday, March 22, 2018
STRATCOM Commander's Warning:How Russia and China Threaten the US and its Allies
US Air Force General John Hyten,Commander,US Strategic Command,testified before the Senate Armed Services Committee on 20 March 2018.In an opening statement and answers to senators' questions in both open testimony and private visits,GEN Hyten gave an assessment of the current and future threats from our adversaries and STRATCOM's level of readiness to counter them.Two US Army veterans,Senator James Inhofe (R-Oklahoma) and Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island) are the Second-Ranking Republican and Ranking Member of the Committee,respectively,while US Navy veteran and former POW Senator John McCain (R-Arizona) is Chairman.
According to GEN Hyten:
The most important message I want to deliver today is that the forces under my command (184,000 Soldiers,Airmen,Sailors and Marines) are fully ready to deter our adversaries and respond decisively,should deterrence ever fail.We are ready for all threats.Our forces and capabilities underpin and enable all other joint force operations.*
STRATCOM missions include fielding our nuclear,cyber and space forces.It also synchronises global missile defence plans and operations;electromagnetic spectrum operations and electronic warfare;over the entire continuum of land-sea-air-electromagnetic spectrum and space.*
GEN Hyten continued:
To maintain military superiority in this multi-polar,all-domain world,we must out-think,out-manoeuvre,out-partner,and out-innovate our adversaries.Deterrence in the twenty-first century requires the integration of all our capabilities,across all domains,enabling us to respond to adversary aggression anytime,anywhere.
The bedrock of our nation's deterrence continues to be our safe,secure,ready and reliable nuclear triad (sea,air and land-based systems).While the current triad continues to provide the backbone of our national security,we will eventually consume the last remaining margin from our investments made in the Cold War.
Today our nation is challenged by multiple adversaries with an expanding range of capabilities available to them.Our modernisation programmes are critical and include the B-21 bomber;the Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine;the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent;the Long-Range Standoff Cruise Missile;Nuclear Command-and-Control;and Life-Extended Nuclear Warheads;which will provide without a doubt the nuclear deterrence capability our nation needs now and well into the future.
The biggest difference between the 2018 and the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review is in the return to threat-based planning and the response to great power competition.We started the NPR with the assessment of the threat-it was all about the threat-and based our approach on what our adversaries are doing today and the increasing challenges of the future.
1.Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons
I strongly agree with the need for a low-yield nuclear weapon.That capability is a deterrence weapon to respond to the threat that Russia in particular is portraying.President Putin as far back as 2000 announced that the Russian doctrine will be to use a low-yield nuclear weapon on the battlefield in the face of a conventional overmatch with an adversary.
We do have low-yield nuclear weapons,but those are with our aviation capabilities right now (the B61 nuclear bomb on NATO fighter-bomber aircraft),and those capabilities might not be the right response in terms of timeliness and survivability to get to where the threat is.Therefore,to respond to the threat,we need a small number of low-yield nuclear weapons that we can deploy on our Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles,still in the new START limits.
2.Hypersonic Nuclear Weapons
A hypersonic threat is a system that starts out ballistic,and so you'll see it like a ballistic missile,but then it depresses its trajectory and then flies more like a cruise missile or an airplane;and so it goes up into the low reaches of space,and then levels out and flies at a very high level of speed-and that's hypersonic,that's a hypersonic weapon.Both Russia and China are developing these capabilities.We'ver watched them test these capabilities;so both Russia and China are aggressively pursuing these weapons.I can give the details in a classified session.
Our defence is our deterrence capability.We don't have any defence that could deny the employment of such a weapon against us;so our response would be our deterrent force,which would be the triad and the nuclear capabilities that we would have to respond to such a threat,GEN Hyten explained at the recent hearing on Capitol Hill.
According to GEN Hyten:
The most important message I want to deliver today is that the forces under my command (184,000 Soldiers,Airmen,Sailors and Marines) are fully ready to deter our adversaries and respond decisively,should deterrence ever fail.We are ready for all threats.Our forces and capabilities underpin and enable all other joint force operations.*
STRATCOM missions include fielding our nuclear,cyber and space forces.It also synchronises global missile defence plans and operations;electromagnetic spectrum operations and electronic warfare;over the entire continuum of land-sea-air-electromagnetic spectrum and space.*
GEN Hyten continued:
To maintain military superiority in this multi-polar,all-domain world,we must out-think,out-manoeuvre,out-partner,and out-innovate our adversaries.Deterrence in the twenty-first century requires the integration of all our capabilities,across all domains,enabling us to respond to adversary aggression anytime,anywhere.
The bedrock of our nation's deterrence continues to be our safe,secure,ready and reliable nuclear triad (sea,air and land-based systems).While the current triad continues to provide the backbone of our national security,we will eventually consume the last remaining margin from our investments made in the Cold War.
Today our nation is challenged by multiple adversaries with an expanding range of capabilities available to them.Our modernisation programmes are critical and include the B-21 bomber;the Columbia-class Ballistic Missile Submarine;the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent;the Long-Range Standoff Cruise Missile;Nuclear Command-and-Control;and Life-Extended Nuclear Warheads;which will provide without a doubt the nuclear deterrence capability our nation needs now and well into the future.
The biggest difference between the 2018 and the 2010 Nuclear Posture Review is in the return to threat-based planning and the response to great power competition.We started the NPR with the assessment of the threat-it was all about the threat-and based our approach on what our adversaries are doing today and the increasing challenges of the future.
1.Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons
I strongly agree with the need for a low-yield nuclear weapon.That capability is a deterrence weapon to respond to the threat that Russia in particular is portraying.President Putin as far back as 2000 announced that the Russian doctrine will be to use a low-yield nuclear weapon on the battlefield in the face of a conventional overmatch with an adversary.
We do have low-yield nuclear weapons,but those are with our aviation capabilities right now (the B61 nuclear bomb on NATO fighter-bomber aircraft),and those capabilities might not be the right response in terms of timeliness and survivability to get to where the threat is.Therefore,to respond to the threat,we need a small number of low-yield nuclear weapons that we can deploy on our Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missiles,still in the new START limits.
2.Hypersonic Nuclear Weapons
A hypersonic threat is a system that starts out ballistic,and so you'll see it like a ballistic missile,but then it depresses its trajectory and then flies more like a cruise missile or an airplane;and so it goes up into the low reaches of space,and then levels out and flies at a very high level of speed-and that's hypersonic,that's a hypersonic weapon.Both Russia and China are developing these capabilities.We'ver watched them test these capabilities;so both Russia and China are aggressively pursuing these weapons.I can give the details in a classified session.
Our defence is our deterrence capability.We don't have any defence that could deny the employment of such a weapon against us;so our response would be our deterrent force,which would be the triad and the nuclear capabilities that we would have to respond to such a threat,GEN Hyten explained at the recent hearing on Capitol Hill.
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Pentagon Issues Nuclear Posture Review - where Russia and NATO fit in
The Pentagon has released its Nuclear Posture Review,dated February 2018.Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis contributed a preface to the document.Here are some excerpts of his thoughts on the subject:
This review comes at a critical moment in our nation's history,for America confronts an international security situation that is more complex and demanding than any since the end of the Cold War.In this environment,it is not possible to delay modernization of our nuclear forces if we are to preserve a credible nuclear deterrent-ensuring that our diplomats continue to speak from a position of strength on matters of war and peace.*
While Russia initially followed America's lead and made similarly sharp reductions in its strategic nuclear forces,it retained large numbers of non-strategic nuclear weapons as well as its other strategic systems.Even more troubling has been Russia's adoption of military strategies and capabilities that rely on nuclear escalation for their success.These developments,coupled with Russia's seizure of Crimea and nuclear threats against our allies,mark Moscow's decided return to Great Power Competition.*
This review confirms the finding of previous NPRs that the nuclear triad (sea,air and land-based systems) - supported by NATO dual-capable aircraft and a robust nuclear command and control system - is the most cost effective and strategically sound means of ensuring nuclear deterrence.To remain effective,however,we must recapitalize our Cold War legacy nuclear forces.*
Modernizing our dual-capable fighter bombers will maintain the strength of NATO's deterrence posture and maintain our ability to forward deploy nuclear weapons,should the security situation demand it.*
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the vital role our Soldiers,Sailors,Airmen,Marines and Coast Guardsmen,and civilians play in making a safe,secure and ready nuclear force.Without their ceaseless and often unheralded efforts,America would not possess a nuclear deterrent.At the end of the day,deterrence comes down to the men and women in uniform - in silos,in the air,and beneath the sea.
To each and every one of them,I wish to express my personal respect and that of a grateful and safe nation.
Signed,
Jim Mattis*
According to NATO:
Nuclear weapons are a core component of NATO's overall capabilities for deterrence and defence,alongside conventional and missile defence forces.The circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated are extremely remote.
Strategic nuclear forces:
As stated in the 2010 Strategic Concept:
The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance,particularly those of the US;the independent strategic nuclear forces of the UK and France,which have a deterrent role of their own,contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.
Dual-capable aircraft:
A number of NATO member countries contribute a dual-capable aircraft (DCA) capability to the Alliance.These aircraft are available for nuclear roles at various levels of readiness - the highest level of readiness is measured in weeks.In their nuclear role,the aircraft are equipped to carry nuclear bombs and personnel are trained accordingly.The US maintains absolute control and custody of the associated nuclear weapons.
Allies provide military support for the DCA mission with conventional forces and capabilities.*
According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative think tank:
About 150 US gravity bomb B-61 warheads are currently stored in Europe.
There are six nuclear weapon facilities in five NATO countries:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;and Turkey.
Dual-capable aircraft currently include:US F-15 E;F-16 C/Ds;Belgian,Dutch and Turkish F-16s;German and Italian PA-200 Tornados*
The US Coast Guard helps provide security for US ballistic missile submarine bases,plus emergency support for the subs such as medevac as needed.
This review comes at a critical moment in our nation's history,for America confronts an international security situation that is more complex and demanding than any since the end of the Cold War.In this environment,it is not possible to delay modernization of our nuclear forces if we are to preserve a credible nuclear deterrent-ensuring that our diplomats continue to speak from a position of strength on matters of war and peace.*
While Russia initially followed America's lead and made similarly sharp reductions in its strategic nuclear forces,it retained large numbers of non-strategic nuclear weapons as well as its other strategic systems.Even more troubling has been Russia's adoption of military strategies and capabilities that rely on nuclear escalation for their success.These developments,coupled with Russia's seizure of Crimea and nuclear threats against our allies,mark Moscow's decided return to Great Power Competition.*
This review confirms the finding of previous NPRs that the nuclear triad (sea,air and land-based systems) - supported by NATO dual-capable aircraft and a robust nuclear command and control system - is the most cost effective and strategically sound means of ensuring nuclear deterrence.To remain effective,however,we must recapitalize our Cold War legacy nuclear forces.*
Modernizing our dual-capable fighter bombers will maintain the strength of NATO's deterrence posture and maintain our ability to forward deploy nuclear weapons,should the security situation demand it.*
I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the vital role our Soldiers,Sailors,Airmen,Marines and Coast Guardsmen,and civilians play in making a safe,secure and ready nuclear force.Without their ceaseless and often unheralded efforts,America would not possess a nuclear deterrent.At the end of the day,deterrence comes down to the men and women in uniform - in silos,in the air,and beneath the sea.
To each and every one of them,I wish to express my personal respect and that of a grateful and safe nation.
Signed,
Jim Mattis*
According to NATO:
Nuclear weapons are a core component of NATO's overall capabilities for deterrence and defence,alongside conventional and missile defence forces.The circumstances in which any use of nuclear weapons might have to be contemplated are extremely remote.
Strategic nuclear forces:
As stated in the 2010 Strategic Concept:
The supreme guarantee of the security of the Allies is provided by the strategic nuclear forces of the Alliance,particularly those of the US;the independent strategic nuclear forces of the UK and France,which have a deterrent role of their own,contribute to the overall deterrence and security of the Allies.
Dual-capable aircraft:
A number of NATO member countries contribute a dual-capable aircraft (DCA) capability to the Alliance.These aircraft are available for nuclear roles at various levels of readiness - the highest level of readiness is measured in weeks.In their nuclear role,the aircraft are equipped to carry nuclear bombs and personnel are trained accordingly.The US maintains absolute control and custody of the associated nuclear weapons.
Allies provide military support for the DCA mission with conventional forces and capabilities.*
According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative think tank:
About 150 US gravity bomb B-61 warheads are currently stored in Europe.
There are six nuclear weapon facilities in five NATO countries:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;and Turkey.
Dual-capable aircraft currently include:US F-15 E;F-16 C/Ds;Belgian,Dutch and Turkish F-16s;German and Italian PA-200 Tornados*
The US Coast Guard helps provide security for US ballistic missile submarine bases,plus emergency support for the subs such as medevac as needed.
Tuesday, November 14, 2017
Rarest of the Breed:Massive Maritime Display by US,South Korea and Japan
The US Navy's 7th Fleet has been holding an extremely rare three-carrier strike group exercise with allies Japan and South Korea off the East Coast of South Korea in the Sea of Japan.It has been 10 years since three US carriers exercised simultaneously in the Western Pacific.Taking part in the drills from the US were the USS Nimitz (CVN-68);USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN-71);and the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76),plus their respective battle groups of guided missile cruisers,guided missile destroyers and nuclear attack submarines.The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force contributed a helicopter carrier and two destroyers;while South Korea sent seven warships to the exercise running from 10-14 November 2017.*
According to US 7th Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift:
It is a rare opportunity to train with two aircraft carriers together;and even rarer to to be able to train with three.Multiple carrier strike force operations are very complex,and this exercise in the Western Pacific is a strong testament to the US Pacific Fleet's unique ability and ironclad commitment to the continued security and stability of the region.*
The exercise has included air defence drills;sea surveillance;replenishments at sea;defensive air combat training;close-in coordinated manoeuvres;and other training,the 7th Fleet said.The drills demonstrate the Navy's unique capability to operate multiple carrier strike groups as a coordinated strike effort.Embarked on the carriers were 12 strike fighter squadrons of F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets and two squadrons of F/A-18C Hornets,all of which are capable of carrying the B61 nuclear weapon.*
In response,North Korea's ambassador to the UN,Ja Song Nam,wrote a letter excoriating the exercise to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.Mr.Ja noted the round-the-clock sorties by US B-52H strategic bombers that are reminiscent of the Cold War and the surprise strike posture with frequent flights of the B-1B and B-2 formations to the airspace of South Korea:
The large scale nuclear war exercises and blackmails,which the US staged for a whole year without break in collaboration with its followers to stifle our republic,make one conclude that the option we have taken was the right one and we should go along the way to the last.The US is now running amok for war exercises by introducing nuclear war equipment in and around the Korean peninsula.*
Perhaps the highlight of the drills was the low overflight of a pair of US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers over the armada of allied warships in the Sea of Japan,escorted by Hornet fighter jets.
According to US 7th Fleet Commander Admiral Scott Swift:
It is a rare opportunity to train with two aircraft carriers together;and even rarer to to be able to train with three.Multiple carrier strike force operations are very complex,and this exercise in the Western Pacific is a strong testament to the US Pacific Fleet's unique ability and ironclad commitment to the continued security and stability of the region.*
The exercise has included air defence drills;sea surveillance;replenishments at sea;defensive air combat training;close-in coordinated manoeuvres;and other training,the 7th Fleet said.The drills demonstrate the Navy's unique capability to operate multiple carrier strike groups as a coordinated strike effort.Embarked on the carriers were 12 strike fighter squadrons of F/A-18E and F/A-18F Super Hornets and two squadrons of F/A-18C Hornets,all of which are capable of carrying the B61 nuclear weapon.*
In response,North Korea's ambassador to the UN,Ja Song Nam,wrote a letter excoriating the exercise to UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres.Mr.Ja noted the round-the-clock sorties by US B-52H strategic bombers that are reminiscent of the Cold War and the surprise strike posture with frequent flights of the B-1B and B-2 formations to the airspace of South Korea:
The large scale nuclear war exercises and blackmails,which the US staged for a whole year without break in collaboration with its followers to stifle our republic,make one conclude that the option we have taken was the right one and we should go along the way to the last.The US is now running amok for war exercises by introducing nuclear war equipment in and around the Korean peninsula.*
Perhaps the highlight of the drills was the low overflight of a pair of US Air Force B-1B Lancer strategic bombers over the armada of allied warships in the Sea of Japan,escorted by Hornet fighter jets.
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
NATO's Steadfast Noon 17:Nuclear Deterrence in the Heart of Europe
On 16 October 2017,NATO commenced its annual nuclear deterrence exercise,Steadfast Noon 17.The drill is perhaps the most cryptic of the NATO exercises,its details held very close to the vest.Revolving around a fictitious scenario,it is being lumped in with the biennial Exercise Formidable Shield 17 this year,an exercise focused on missile and air defence.FS 17 ends on 18 October,so perhaps Steadfast Noon will as well.
Typically SN involves launching and recovering a number of nuclear-capable fighters,such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the PA200 Tornado.There may also be support aircraft code-named SNOWCAT in the drill.*
Partcipating in Formidable Shield 17 are Canada,France,Germany,the Netherlands,the US and the UK.Poland has participated in Steadfast Noon since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014,and since it is being held in Belgium and Germany this year,those two Allies will certainly be participating.It has rarely been filmed,but I did locate some quality videos of the 2011 and 2012 drills by airplane enthusiast MrSoeberg.*
The US stores between 150-180 B61 nuclear bombs at six air bases in five European countries,the Congressional Research Service revealed.Among them is Belgium's Kleine Brogel Air Base.Belgium is intent on keeping the powerful weapons on its soil,where it has a nuclear dual key arrangement with the US.This may incline Belgium to select the F-35 Lightning II for the upcoming modernisation of its fighter jet fleet.*
German and Italian IDS PA200 Tornados are capable of deploying the B61.Other aircraft known to be capable of handling this bunker buster,tactical nuclear weapon are:
B-52 Stratofortress;B-2 Spirit;F-16 Fighting Falcon;F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet;F-22 Raptor;F-35 Lightning II;F-15E Strike Eagle.NATO is modernising its stockpile to the more accurate B61 Mod 12,which is a standoff weapon.The current Mod 11 is an unguided gravity weapon with a yield that varies from 0.3 to 340 kilotons.*
The following Allies have been assigned NATO nuclear strike missions:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;possibly Turkey;and the US.
Typically SN involves launching and recovering a number of nuclear-capable fighters,such as the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the PA200 Tornado.There may also be support aircraft code-named SNOWCAT in the drill.*
Partcipating in Formidable Shield 17 are Canada,France,Germany,the Netherlands,the US and the UK.Poland has participated in Steadfast Noon since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2014,and since it is being held in Belgium and Germany this year,those two Allies will certainly be participating.It has rarely been filmed,but I did locate some quality videos of the 2011 and 2012 drills by airplane enthusiast MrSoeberg.*
The US stores between 150-180 B61 nuclear bombs at six air bases in five European countries,the Congressional Research Service revealed.Among them is Belgium's Kleine Brogel Air Base.Belgium is intent on keeping the powerful weapons on its soil,where it has a nuclear dual key arrangement with the US.This may incline Belgium to select the F-35 Lightning II for the upcoming modernisation of its fighter jet fleet.*
German and Italian IDS PA200 Tornados are capable of deploying the B61.Other aircraft known to be capable of handling this bunker buster,tactical nuclear weapon are:
B-52 Stratofortress;B-2 Spirit;F-16 Fighting Falcon;F/A-18 Hornet/Super Hornet;F-22 Raptor;F-35 Lightning II;F-15E Strike Eagle.NATO is modernising its stockpile to the more accurate B61 Mod 12,which is a standoff weapon.The current Mod 11 is an unguided gravity weapon with a yield that varies from 0.3 to 340 kilotons.*
The following Allies have been assigned NATO nuclear strike missions:Belgium;Germany;Italy;the Netherlands;possibly Turkey;and the US.
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