Pentagon says photo of damaged nuclear bomb was a training dummy

The recent publication of a photograph showing a damaged US nuclear bomb at a Dutch airbase has caused concern among arms control advocates. However, the Pentagon has since clarified that the picture was of a dummy weapon being used in a training exercise.


Photo: Los Alamos National Laboratory

The B61 nuclear bomb is the only tactical nuclear weapon still in the U.S. arsenal, and 100 of them are stored in several European countries. The bombs remain American property, but aircrews from six NATO allies are trained to put them on planes and fly them. In the event of hostilities, it would require the agreement of the U.S., the NATO nuclear planning group, and the British prime minister for the weapons to be transferred to allied planes.

Arms control advocates have long argued that the B61 is militarily obsolete and should be withdrawn from Europe. The Obama administration contemplated its withdrawal, but met with resistance from some European allies, who saw it as symbolic of the US nuclear umbrella protecting them. Instead, the weapon was modernized, and the new version, the B61-12, is due to be delivered to Europe.

In summary, while the photograph of the apparently damaged U.S. nuclear bomb at a Dutch airbase caused concern among arms control advocates, the Pentagon has since clarified that it was a dummy weapon being used in a training exercise. The B61 bomb remains a controversial issue, with some arguing that it should be withdrawn from Europe as an easy step towards disarmament, while others see it as symbolic of the U.S. nuclear umbrella protecting European allies.
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