{"id":1491,"date":"2024-12-20T09:51:05","date_gmt":"2024-12-20T08:51:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/nuclearsharing.eu\/?page_id=1491"},"modified":"2024-12-20T10:17:11","modified_gmt":"2024-12-20T09:17:11","slug":"current-deployment","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/nuclearsharing.eu\/en\/nuclear-sharing-in-the-netherlands\/current-deployment\/","title":{"rendered":"Current Deployment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n


Since 1960<\/a>, the Netherlands has hosted different US nuclear weapons such as bombs and artillery munition. Today, only nuclear bombs remain, precisely two types of the US B61 gravity bombs, which are deployed at Volkel Air Base. Besides the Netherlands, the NATO allies Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Turkey also host US nuclear weapons. The weapons deployed in Europe and Turkey form the \u201ctechnical component\u201d of NATO\u2019s nuclear sharing. Through the \u201cpolitical component\u201d of nuclear sharing, countries have a say in the formulation of the Alliance\u2019s nuclear strategy. This does not require the stationing of US nuclear weapons on a particular country\u2019s soil. Most NATO members do not host nuclear weapons, yet are involved in NATO\u2019s nuclear planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Sharing Graphic from http:\/\/nuclearsharing.eu\/en\/current-deployment\/]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Sharing Table from http:\/\/nuclearsharing.eu\/en\/current-deployment\/]<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Dutch authorities confirm neither the deployment of nuclear weapons nor their number or location. However, in 2013<\/a>
former Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers (1982-1994) acknowledged that nuclear weapons were stored at Volkel Air base. He was subsequently joined<\/a>
by another former Prime Minister, Dries van Agt (1977-1982). In addition, leading experts estimate that there are approximately 15<\/a>
such weapons in the Netherlands. There are also other indications \u2013 nuclear weapons were mentioned in a dispatch<\/a>
published by WikiLeaks, and briefly appeared in a report<\/a>
by NATO\u2019s Parliamentary Assembly. Recent reports<\/a> refer to 100 bombs stationed in NATO territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


At Volkel Air Base, the nuclear bombs are under the control of US soldiers of the 703rd Munitions Support Squadron. They are stored in underground vaults (Weapons Storage and Security System, WS3) inside the aircraft hangars. Eleven such vaults are assumed to exist at Volkel, each of which can hold four nuclear weapons. In 2014<\/a>, peace activists broke into the Air Base and took pictures of the bomb shelters. The incident raised concerns about the security of the weapons in the Netherlands.<\/p>\n\n\n\n


Minor constructions<\/a> have been taking place at Volkel AB in recent years. Among them are a new tarmac area with security perimeter, which is said to be designed for use by U.S. C-17A<\/a> aircraft that transport the new B61-12 to airbases in Europe, and security updates to the WS3 vaults.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Figure 1]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[Figure 2]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Since 1960, the Netherlands has hosted different US nuclear weapons such as bombs and artillery munition. Today, only nuclear bombs remain, precisely two types of the US B61 gravity bombs, which are deployed at Volkel Air Base. Besides the Netherlands, the NATO allies Belgium, Germany, Italy, and Turkey also host US nuclear weapons. The weapons […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":222,"featured_media":0,"parent":1483,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1491","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t