The new era of nuclear weapons (II)
NATO considers stationing additional American nuclear weapons across Europe – even near the Russian border. The last nuclear arms control treaty expired in February.
BRUSSELS/WASHINGTON/BERLIN (our own report) – NATO is preparing for a nuclear build-up in Europe. The alliance is even considering the stationing of nuclear weapons near Russia’s borders. As reported at the end of last week, NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte does not rule out the deployment of additional US nuclear weapons on the European continent. According to experts, new American nuclear bombs have already been sent covertly to the UK. Countries close to or on the border with Russia, including Finland and Lithuania, are being discussed as potential sites. Lithuania is already revising its constitution to make this legally possible. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz recently signalled his approval of this move. Rutte publicly admits that the plan is rather “delicate” in view of the threat posed by “nuclear-armed Russia”. The US has already replaced the bombs stored at Büchel with the new B61-12 variant. This weapon is supposed to be suited to a so-called “tactical” deployment, which can only mean lowering the threshold for commencement of a nuclear war. The infrastructure work taking place at Büchel is required to modernise US nuclear capabilities and will cost the German government billions. At the same time, France is also strengthening its own nuclear capabilities in a move coordinated with Germany.
‘A delicate balance’
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte had already hinted at nuclear build-up on 21–22 April, speaking at this year’s NATO Nuclear Policy Symposium. The event in Istanbul, which brought together around 150 experts from the member states, revealed NATO’s intentions to push ahead with the expansion of capabilities – not only in the conventional but also in the nuclear sphere. Rutte said that, “in times of great instability, as the importance of nuclear deterrence grows, we must ensure NATO’s deterrence remains credible, safe, secure and effective.”[1] In this context, “crucial decisions” would, he said, have to be made, “including how NATO’s nuclear posture would have to further adapt to the deteriorating security environment.” Rutte noted that “much work” was already being done to modernise NATO’s nuclear systems. In view of the “risk of escalation” with a “nuclear-armed Russia”, this move involved “a delicate balance”. Two months later, on 18 June, following its regular annual meeting in Brussels, NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group reaffirmed that it was now in the process of “modernising NATO’s nuclear capabilities” and “strengthening its nuclear planning capabilities”.[2] It added that it would be “investing” accordingly in the “resources, capabilities and forces, required” for NATO’s nuclear mission.
‘Tactical’ missions
On the one hand, the modernisation, now already underway, involves replacing old US nuclear bombs with new ones. They are stored in five European countries as part of ‘nuclear sharing’. Statements made by high-ranking military officials, and confirmed by experts, indicate that this process has now been completed. Specifically, the old B61 bombs have been replaced by new B61-12 variants. The B61-12s are significantly more accurate than their predecessor. Their impact can also be scaled, meaning they can be deployed with varying levels of explosive yield. Military experts confirm that the new configuration means the weapons can, in principle, be used ‘tactically’. For instance, they could eliminate enemy command centres, destroy hardened military infrastructure and wipe out concentrations of enemy troops. Deployment as a battlefield weapon is, in principle, conceivable. But by lowering the threshold for their use, the risk of nuclear war will grow. The new American bombs are stationed at air bases in Büchel in the Eifel, in Kleine Brogel in Belgium, in Volkel in the Netherlands, in Aviano and Ghedi in Italy, and in İncirlik in Turkey. According to experts, there are currently around 100 nuclear bombs in total that are ready for deployment at any time.[3] For Büchel, a figure of twenty bombs has been cited.
Billions for Büchel
The switch to the new B61-12 bombs is accompanied by further military modernisation measures. In particular, these include the transition to America’s new nuclear-capable F-35 fighter jets. All armed forces integrated in the nuclear sharing programme already have F-35 jets or are in the process of acquiring them. The Bundeswehr, for instance, is purchasing 35 F-35s for ten billion euros.[4] In turn, Germany’s Büchel Air Base is set to undergo a wide-ranging overhaul to accommodate the new F-35s. The project will require a completely new infrastructure for mission control.[5] The work is due to be completed by 2027 at the latest. The costs faced by Germany for the Büchel upgrade are being driven up by the intense time pressure for completion and by the special security requirements the US has insisted on – for example, not even steel manufactured in China may be used. Initial plans had been costed at just over 700 million euros, but projections soon shifted to 1.1 billion. Last July, the German Defence Ministry admitted that the final cost was likely to rise to as much as two billion euros.[6] In June, the Tornado aircraft, which had been temporarily relocated to Nörvenich due to the construction work, were able to return to Büchel. According to some reports, the refurbishment is not expected to be fully completed until 2030.
On the border with Russia
As part of this ongoing nuclear build-up, NATO is also considering establishing some new sites for nuclear based, as reported on Friday. The plan is apparently already being implemented in the UK. Last summer, nuclear disarmament campaigners said they had found clear evidence that B61-12 bombs were transported to RAF Lakenheath Air Base, an essentially US Air Force-run base situated north-east of Cambridge.[7] This would be the first time since 2008 that American nuclear weapons have been stored in the UK. Experts now generally agree that US nuclear bombs have arrived at Lakenheath. And, in 2021, the air base became the first in Europe to host US F-35 fighter jets. With the new B61-12s, the United Kingdom is now the sixth country in Europe to store American nuclear bombs. Others could follow, as NATO Secretary-General Rutte explicitly did not rule this out in an interview with dpa. Possible locations mentioned include Finland, Lithuania and Poland, all of which are on or near the border with Russia. Lithuania recently announced that it would remove from the country’s constitution the legal ban on stationing nuclear weapons. The aim is to “make use of all possibilities for nuclear deterrence”, President Gitanas Nausėda stated in Berlin at the beginning of July.[8] And Germany’s Chancellor, Friedrich Merz, signalled his approval.
The end of arms control
Experts estimate that a total of 100 to 150 additional B61-12 nuclear bombs might be stationed across Europe. At the same time, France has also announced plans to increase its own stockpile of nuclear weapons (as reported by german-foreign-policy.com [9]). Paris does not wish to disclose the exact number. Its stated aim is to keep its adversary, namely Russia, in the dark. And NATO is following suit as it now considers hiding any details about the nuclear rearmament, again believing secrecy will sow uncertainty in Moscow.[10] Although this is being touted as a strategic advantage, it will only increase the uncertainty and insecurity in Europe even further. As nuclear threats become harder to calibrate it is highly likely that Russia will only respond in kind. Not least by stationing nuclear weapons closer to Western Europe and, in turn, keeping the West guessing. This all comes on top of the United States’ policy of systematically undermining nuclear arms control by allowing the relevant treaties to lapse without replacement. This occurred most recently in the case of New START, which formally expired on 5 February this year. As Alistair Burnett of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) notes, not a single nuclear arms control treaty now remains in force.[11]
[1] Opening address by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte to the NATO Nuclear Policy Symposium. nato.int 21.04.2026.
[2] 2026 Nuclear Planning Group Statement. nato.int 18.06.2026.
[3] Hans M. Kristensen, Matt Korda, Eliana Johns, Mackenzie Knight-Boyle: United States nuclear weapons, 2026. thebulletin.org 12.03.2026.
[4] Einführung des F-35: mehr als „nur“ ein neues Kampfflugzeug. bundeswehr.de.
[5] Matthias Gebauer: Umbaukosten am Luftwaffenstandort Büchel laufen aus dem Ruder. spiegel.de 02.072.2025.
[6] 600 Millionen Euro mehr für Fliegerhorst Büchel. faz.net 25.07.2026.
[7] RAF Lakenheath: Have US nuclear weapons returned to Britain? cnduk.org.
[8] Litauen will Atomwaffen stationieren – Merz respektiert das. spiegel.de 03.07.2026.
[9] See: The new era of nuclear weapons I.
[10] Nato arbeitet an Plänen für Ausbau der atomaren Abschreckung. handelsblatt.com 31.07.2026.
[11] Fredy Gsteiger: „Die Ära der nuklearen Abrüstung ist zu Ende“. srf.ch 29.03.2026.
