US Nuclear Weapons in Europe - Natural Resources Defense Council

U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe • Hans M. Kristensen/Natural Resources Defense Council, 2005
have created a capability to design and execute nuclear strike options that is greater than
at any time during the Cold War.
Nuclear Strike Training
Maintaining credible wartime nuclear strike missions require training in peacetime. To
support the forward deployment of U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe and the assignment
of nuclear strike missions to aircraft from non-nuclear NATO countries, USAFE and
NATO maintain an extensive infrastructure of bombing ranges where U.S. and NATO
pilots can practice their skills in dropping nuclear bombs. In 1994, after the withdrawal
of ground-launched nuclear weapons was completed in 1993, the USAFE maintained 15
bombing ranges in eight countries expressly used for nuclear weapons training (see Table
9).
Country
Table 9:
Nuclear Weapons Training Ranges 118
Range Name*
42
Operational
(1992) (1994)
Belgium Helchteren X X
France Captieux X
Suippes X X
Germany Nordhorn (RAF) X X
Siegenburg (USAFE) X X
Italy Capo Frasca X X
Maniago II X
Netherlands Noordvaarder X X
Vliehors X X
Turkey Konya X X
Tunisia Ben Ghilouf X
United Kingdom Cowden X X
Donna Nook X X
Holbeach X X
Jurby X
Rosehearthy X X
Tain X X
Wainfleet X X
Total
* All ranges (except Maniago II) are for both nuclear and conventional
bombing.
There was at least one bombing range in each NATO nation that hosts U.S. nuclear
weapons, except Greece. The list also included France, which is a member of NATO but
does not store U.S. nuclear weapons and is not part of NATO’s integrated nuclear
command structure. Compared with 1992, the 1994 list deleted a second French range
and a “nuclear-only” bombing range in Italy.
17
15