p.53-94 (pdf) - Natural Resources Defense Council

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Appendix C U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Location Profiles, CONTINUED MISSOURI Rank: No. 7 Nuclear Warheads: 550 Whiteman AIR FORCE BASE MISSOURI ranks 7th (tie) in number of nuclear weapons deployed, a rise from 21st since 1992. Whiteman AFB, west of Jefferson City is home to the new B-2 “Spirit” bombers of the 509th Bomb Wing of the Air Force Air Combat Command. The 150 Minuteman II ICBMs previously deployed around Whiteman have been retired. Nuclear weapons stored at Whiteman AFB include 200 B61- 7 bombs, 50 new B61-11 “earth penetrator” bombs, and 300 highyield B83 bombs. As the primary nuclear penetrating bomber, the B-2 does not carry any air-launched cruise missiles. The 509th Wing returned to operational status on 1 April 1993, the initial cadre coming from Detachment 509, 351st Missile Wing, which was inactivated. On December 17, 1993, the wing’s first B-2 arrived at Whiteman. It was dubbed the Spirit of Missouri. During 1994, four additional bombers arrived at Whiteman (17 and 31 August, 29 October, 30 December), and the first bomber was extensively tested to practice nuclear bomb loading. The 509th (and the subordinate 509th Security Police Squadron) was awarded excellent and outstanding ratings in the 1994 NSI and the Wing received a USAF Nuclear Surety Plaque “for demonstrating outstanding capability to support a nuclear airlift mission.” Three more planes were added in 1995 (17 February, 28 June, and 14 November) and the first B-2 returned to Northrop Grumman’s Palmdale, CA assembly plant to undergo upgrading to Block 30 status. In 1996, the ninth through 13th bombers arrived (11 and 24 January, 16 May, 3 July, and 17 December). On January 1, 1996, the Air Force announced that the B-2 fleet was operational for use in a conventional bombing role. From June 10-17, 1996, a Quality Air Force Assessment (QAFA) was conducted at Whiteman. Preparations for permanent nuclear certification of the B-2 Wing at Whiteman began in August 1993 with an Air Combat Command Nuclear Staff Assistance Visit (NSAV). These were continued in March 1995, September 1995, January 1996, and September 1996. Between January 21-27, 1997, the first wing Nuclear Surety Inspection was held. After nuclear certification, on 19 February, the wing conducted its first nuclear war “generation” exercise to practice rapid take-off of aircraft in response to an alert order. The B-2s were added to the nuclear war plans. 60 TAKING STOCK
Appendix C U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Location Profiles, CONTINUED MONTANA Rank: No.7 Nuclear Warheads: 550 MONTANA ranks 7th (tie) in number of nuclear warheads deployed, a rise from 16th place in 1985 and 20th place in 1992. Malmstrom AFB, six miles from Great Falls, is home to the 341st Space Wing (formerly Missile Wing) of the 20th Air Force, Air Force Space Command. By the end of 1998, the Wing will be equipped with 200 MIRVed Minuteman III ICBMs deployed with the 10th, 12th, 490th, and 564th Missile Squadrons. The Wing received the USAF Nuclear Surety Plaque for 1993 for “distinguished performance.” This was a result of a NSI conducted 19-27 June 1993, where the Wing was rated excellent in all areas. Construction of Malmstrom AFB began in May 1942 as a port of embarkation to Ladd Field in Fairbanks, Alaska as part of the lend-lease operations to the Soviet Union. In 1954 Great Falls Army Air Field became a Strategic Air Command base and in 1956 was renamed Malmstrom AFB. During the Cuban Missile crisis of 1962 the first Minuteman I ICBMs went on alert with the 341st Strategic Missile Wing. Eventually 200 Minuteman missiles were spread across 23,000 square miles of Montana. A September 1991 Presidential directive ordered the deactivation of the Minuteman II force and the last of Malmstrom’s 150 Minuteman II missiles were removed from silos on August 23, 1994. Empty silos are now being filled with Minuteman III missiles transferred from Grand Forks, AFB, ND. The transfer began in October 1995 and should be complete during 1998. NEBRASKA Rank: No. 11 Nuclear Warheads: 255 F.E. Warren AIR FORCE BASE, WY MISSILE SILOS Malmstrom AIR FORCE BASE LIKE COLORADO, NEBRASKA does not host any nuclear bases, but still ranks 11th in number of nuclear warheads deployed due to the presence of 85 Minuteman III underground missile silos of F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming in the southwest corner of the state. A total of 255 W62 warheads (MIRV x 3) arm the missiles. These will be reduced to a single warhead configuration by the end of 2007 under provisions of the START II Treaty. Worldwide Nuclear Deployments 1998 61
Page 1 and 2: Appendix A Locations of U.S. Nuclea
Page 3 and 4: Appendix B U.S. Nuclear Weapons by
Page 5 and 6: Appendix C U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Lo
Page 7: Appendix C U.S. Nuclear Weapons, Lo
Page 29 and 30: Appendix D Location of Russian Nucl
Page 31 and 32: Appendix D Location of Russian Nucl
Page 33 and 34: Appendix E Russian Nuclear Weapons,
Page 35 and 36: Appendix E Russian Nuclear Weapons,
Page 37 and 38: Appendix H Chinese Nuclear Weapons
Page 39 and 40: Acronymns and Abbreviations, CONTIN
Page 41 and 42: Recent Publications BOOKS Nuclear W

p.53-94 (pdf) - Natural Resources Defense Council

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