BERLIN, July 31. /TASS/. NATO is developing plans to expand nuclear deterrence in Europe, the DPA news agency reported.
According to the agency, one option is the deployment of additional American nuclear weapons. Experts believe it is quite possible that the US has already deployed B61-12 bombs to Lakenheath Air Force Base in the UK. If the security situation further deteriorates, countries such as Poland, Finland, and Lithuania could also be considered as deployment locations, DPA notes.
The planning primarily concerns so-called non-strategic nuclear weapons. Compared to strategic nuclear weapons, these often have a lower explosive yield and are typically delivered to their targets by fighter jets, shorter-range missiles and cruise missiles. According to DPA, the alliance's new plans are based on alleged threats from Russia.
Following the extensive nuclear disarmament at the end of the Cold War, experts estimate that approximately 100 American B61-12 bombs remain at six air bases in Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey. In Germany, according to DPA, they are presumably stationed in Buchel in Rhineland-Palatinate. As part of NATO's so-called nuclear sharing, these bombs could also be used by German fighters in an emergency.
