Tuesday

28th Nov 2023

European nuclear weapons sites not secure, says US report

Most European sites containing US nuclear weapons are failing to meet security standards set by the Pentagon, a report has shown.

The study, commissioned by the US Air Force, was released in February but much of the detail was left out.

Read and decide

Join EUobserver today

Become an expert on Europe

Get instant access to all articles — and 20 years of archives. 14-day free trial.

... or subscribe as a group

  • There are thought to be between 200-350 B61 nuclear bombs in Europe (Photo: EUobserver)

However, the Federation of American Scientists obtained a partially declassified version, which it posted on its website, showing that the security problem for nuclear weapons in Europe is much bigger than was previously known.

According to the study, most sites in Europe "require significant additional resources to meet standards", while inspectors uncovered inconsistencies in "personnel, facilities and equipment provided to the security mission by the host nation."

"Examples of areas noted in need of repair at several of the sites include support buildings, fencing, lighting, and security systems."

"A consistently noted theme throughout the visits was that most sites require significant additional resources to meet [Pentagon] security requirements," reads the Blue Ribbon Review of Nuclear Weapons Policies and Procedures study.

The investigation was commissioned by the Air Force following an incident last year in which nuclear warheads were flown across the United States without the knowledge nuclear safety personnel.

Hangover from the Cold War

Although the US removed many of its nuclear weapons from Europe after the Cold War, there still remains a number of weapons in NATO countries Germany, Belgium, the UK, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

According to information displayed on the FAS website, quoting previous reports and declassified documents, the number of 00-350 B61 nuclear bombs in Europe range between 200 and 350.

In Germany, the report has sparked criticism among both the Social Democrats - the junior part of the governing coalition - and opposition parties.

According to the International Herald Tribune, Niels Annen, foreign affairs expert for the Social Democrats, said that nuclear disarmament would receive a big boost if Germany got rid of the weapons.

"The nuclear weapons are a hangover from the Cold War and must go," Guido Westerwelle, the head of the liberal Free Democrats, told the Berliner Zeitung daily on Monday.

"If there are any security risks, this is one more reason to remove all nuclear weapons that were kept in Germany for tactical reasons," he added.

However, the AFP news agency reports government spokesperson Ulrich Wilhelm as saying that the country is bound by NATO agreements to maintain nuclear arms as a military deterrent.

"For the foreseeable future ... we remain of the view that a deterring military capacity includes not only conventional capacity but also nuclear components," the spokesperson said.

Column

How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right

Many conservatives in Europe seem to have forgotten the lesson of 1930s Germany. They sacrifice their principles on the altar of the polls and all-too-often try to overtake rightwing radicals on their own pet subjects like security or migration.

Opinion

My experience trying to negotiate with Uber

After working with people in unusual employment situations for a decade, I thought I had seen it all as a union organiser. Then I began dealing with Uber.

Column

How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right

Many conservatives in Europe seem to have forgotten the lesson of 1930s Germany. They sacrifice their principles on the altar of the polls and all-too-often try to overtake rightwing radicals on their own pet subjects like security or migration.

Opinion

My experience trying to negotiate with Uber

After working with people in unusual employment situations for a decade, I thought I had seen it all as a union organiser. Then I began dealing with Uber.

Latest News

  1. People-smuggling profits at historic high, EU concedes
  2. EU bets big on fossil hydrogen and carbon storage
  3. How centre-right conservatives capitulate to the far-right
  4. My experience trying to negotiate with Uber
  5. Key battlegrounds in EU's new media legislation
  6. EU 'shocked' by Israel's war-time settler surge
  7. Platform workers could face 'robo-firing' under EU's AI rules
  8. Wilders faces tough road to power, despite election triumph

Stakeholders' Highlights

  1. Friedrich Naumann FoundationPoems of Liberty – Call for Submission “Human Rights in Inhume War”: 250€ honorary fee for selected poems
  2. World BankWorld Bank report: How to create a future where the rewards of technology benefit all levels of society?
  3. Georgia Ministry of Foreign AffairsThis autumn Europalia arts festival is all about GEORGIA!
  4. UNOPSFostering health system resilience in fragile and conflict-affected countries
  5. European Citizen's InitiativeThe European Commission launches the ‘ImagineEU’ competition for secondary school students in the EU.
  6. Nordic Council of MinistersThe Nordic Region is stepping up its efforts to reduce food waste

Join EUobserver

Support quality EU news

Join us