THE Russian Ministry of Defence has said that the United States has deployed its modernised thermonuclear weapon in Europe.
NNSA Administrator Jill Hruby indicated that the B61-12 variant of the gravity bomb has already been deployed across military bases in Europe under NATO’s nuclear weapons-sharing program.
The B61 bombs have been in service for over 50 years in the US, with its life extension program initiated in 2008 aimed at refurbishing the bomb’s nuclear and non-nuclear components, expanding its life by another 20 years.
Hruby said on Thursday, “The new B61-12 gravity bombs are fully forward deployed, and we have increased NATO’s visibility to our nuclear capabilities through visits to our enterprise and other regular engagements.”
Meanwhile, Moscow estimates that at least 150 of these bombs are deployed across Europe, dropping the nuclear threshold.
Additionally, the US is also planning to store and deploy its nukes in the UK, according to multiple reports, as part of their nuclear sharing agreement with NATO nations.
“Our strategic partnership with the UK is very strong, as is their commitment to their nuclear deterrent. And we have advanced our thinking together about critical supply chain resilience,” Hruby added without providing further details.
However, Moscow has repeatedly criticised US military buildup, warning that these actions of arming countries with nukes will lead to a proportional response.
In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a change in the nation’s nuclear doctrine to stipulate that “an aggression against the Russian Federation and/or its allies by any non-nuclear state with the participation or support of a nuclear state will be regarded as their joint attack.”
Russia recently conducted a ‘combat test’ of its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile against a military plant in Ukraine in response to Kiev’s cross-border attacks using US-made ATACMS and HIMARS systems, as well as British-French Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles.
Last month, Russia and Belarus finalised a security treaty cementing plans to deploy the hypersonic Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus by 2025.
These Oreshnik missiles, according to Moscow, can strike entire Europe within minutes and cannot be intercepted by the western defences.
