Shipped to Asia? Exposed: Trump had secretly withdrawn one-third of nuclear bombs from Europe

The B-61 nuclear gravity bomb is mounted under the wing of the F-15E. (Photo/US Air Force)

A report shows that the Trump administration has changed the number of nuclear weapons in Europe and Turkey, removing about 50 B61 lightweight nuclear bombs, where there were originally about 150 B-61 warheads.

In the 1950s, the United States began deploying nuclear weapons in Western Europe, and during the height of Cold War tensions, the U.S. nuclear arsenal in Europe grew to about 8,000 warheads, Rosatom reported. By the 1990s, the number of nuclear weapons on the continent was greatly reduced, but not completely removed.

Recently, however, there appears to have been a change, with one official saying that several recent unclassified reports have mentioned the shipment of nuclear weapons out of Europe with Turkey for reasons that are unclear and not volunteered by the U.S. side.

In January, a routine report in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists noted that about 100 B61-series nuclear bombs were located at five U.S. bases in five European countries, but the previous number was 150, so it could be argued that the U.S. military shipped 1/3 of its B-61 bombs from Europe.

The five bases with nuclear weapons are: Base aerea di Aviano in Italy, Buchel AFB in Germany, Kleine Brogel base in Belgium, Volkel AFB in the Netherlands, and although Incirlik AFB in Turkey, which is not in Europe but is also a NATO member.

The number of B-61s at Incirlik AFB, Turkey, was reduced from 50 to about 20. From which base were the other 20 moved? Possibly Aviano, Italy, as the base is undergoing renovation and depot space has been reduced.

The removed B-61s could be sent to Asia, or another undisclosed European base.

The B-61 is currently the only nuclear weapon in the U.S. Air Force’s fighter force, and it is small enough to fit into the bomb bay of the F-35, so it is capable of executing a stowaway nuclear attack if necessary. Beginning in 2010, the Obama administration upgraded the B61 nuclear weapon and added an improved version, called the B61-12, which is smaller and has a lower nuclear yield, making it possible to “tacticalize” the weapon, that is, make it available for use in conflict operations.

The B-61 has combat segments of 0.3 kg, 1.5 kg, 10 kg and 50 kg. For comparison purposes, the U.S. bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945 had combat segments equivalent to 15 kg and 18 kg, respectively.