LONDON, Oct 29 (Reuters) – Russia mentioned on Saturday that the accelerated deployment of modernised U.S. B61 tactical nuclear weapons at NATO bases in Europe would decrease the “nuclear threshold” and that Russia would take the transfer into consideration in its navy planning.
Russia has about 2,000 working tactical nuclear weapons whereas the United States has round 200 such weapons, half of that are at bases in Italy, Germany, Turkey, Belgium and the Netherlands.
Amid the Ukraine disaster, Politico reported on Oct. 26 that the United States informed a closed NATO assembly this month that it could speed up the deployment of a modernised model of the B61, the B61-12, with the brand new weapons arriving at European bases in December, a number of months sooner than deliberate.
“We cannot ignore the plans to modernize nuclear weapons, those free-fall bombs that are in Europe,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko informed state RIA information company.
The 12-ft B61-12 gravity bomb carries a decrease yield nuclear warhead than many earlier variations however is extra correct and may penetrate under floor, based on research by the Federation of American Scientists printed in 2014.
“The United States is modernizing them, increasing their accuracy and reducing the power of the nuclear charge, that is, they turn these weapons into ‘battlefield weapons’, thereby reducing the nuclear threshold,” Grushko mentioned.
The Pentagon mentioned it was not going to debate the small print of the U.S. nuclear arsenal and that the premise of the Politico article was unsuitable because the United States had lengthy deliberate the modernisation of its B61 nuclear weapons.
“Modernization of U.S. B61 nuclear weapons has been underway for years, and plans to safely and responsibly swap out older weapons for the upgraded B61-12 versions are part of a long-planned and scheduled modernization effort,” Pentagon spokesman Oscar Seara mentioned.
“It is in no way linked to current events in Ukraine and was not sped up in any way,” Seara mentioned in an emailed assertion.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has triggered the gravest confrontation between Moscow and the West because the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis when the 2 Cold War superpowers got here closest to nuclear battle.
President Vladimir Putin
has repeatedly mentioned Russia will defend its territory with all accessible means, together with nuclear weapons, if attacked.
The feedback raised specific concern in the West after Moscow declared final month it had annexed 4 Ukrainian areas that its forces management elements of. Putin says the West has engaged in nuclear blackmail in opposition to Russia.
‘STRATEGIC SIGNIFICANCE’
U.S. President Joe Biden mentioned on Oct. 6 that Putin had introduced the world nearer to “Armageddon” than at any time because the Cuban Missile Crisis, although Biden later mentioned he didn’t assume that Putin would use a tactical nuclear weapon.
Putin has not talked about utilizing a tactical nuclear weapon however has mentioned he suspects Ukraine might detonate a “dirty bomb”, a declare Ukraine and the West say is fake.
The U.S. B61 nuclear bomb was first examined in Nevada shortly after the Cuban Missile Crisis. Under Barack Obama, U.S. president from 2009 to 2017, the event of a brand new model of the bomb, the B61-12, was authorised.
Russia’s Grushko mentioned that Moscow would additionally must take account of the Lockheed Martin F-35 which might drop such a bomb. NATO, he mentioned, had already strengthened the nuclear elements of its navy planning.
NATO “has already made decisions to strengthen the nuclear component in the alliance’s military plans,” Grushko mentioned.
Russia’s ambassador to Washington, Anatoly Antonov, mentioned on Saturday on Telegram that the brand new B61 bombs had a “strategic significance” as Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons have been in storage, but these U.S. bombs could be only a quick flight from Russia’s borders.
The United States, based on the U.S. 2022 Nuclear Posture Review printed on Thursday, will bolster nuclear deterrence with the F-35, the B61-12 bombs and a nuclear-armed air-launched cruise missile.
Editing by Frances Kerry and Helen Popper
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