By Nigel Chamberlain, NATO Watch
The programme to modernise the US B61 nuclear gravity bomb has been delayed by political turmoil, efforts to control the momentum of nuclear weapons laboratories and, more recently, possible funding reduction brought about by sequestration. Consequently, an initial starting date for deployment of 2017 has been put back to the early 2020s.
An unknown number of the modernised B61-12s are earmarked for deployment at bases in Europe accompanied in time by new delivery vehicles - the hugely expensive F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. And while the cost of modernising the US nuclear gift to contracting countries within NATO (Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherland and Turkey) is going to be around 20 million Euros, the 'host’ nations may have to pay as much as, or more than, 400 million Euros per aircraft over the next 25 years for the privilege of deploying the gift.
In an age of fiscal austerity and delining utility of nuclear 'deterrence', does any of this make sense? Read the full analysis in the attached PDF briefing.