New nuclear bombs that the United States intends to deliver to Europe will be "dead weight"

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At a recent meeting of the Nuclear Planning Group in Brussels, US officials informed NATO allies that B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs would be delivered to Europe by the end of 2022. It was previously planned that these weapons would arrive on the European continent only in March next year. This was reported on October 27 by the Politico newspaper, citing its sources in diplomatic circles.

Serial production of modernized bombs has been carried out since May of this year, therefore, the newspaper believes, we can only talk about units or dozens of copies. At the same time, Politico believes that the decision on earlier deliveries of bombs was dictated by the worsening geopolitical situation in Europe and the increased degree of tension between the West and Russia.



In this regard, it is interesting to note that in European countries there are practically no combat aircraft that could carry such weapons. Thus, the F-16 Tornado is not capable of using the B61-12 as a guided bomb, since the bomb works only in analog mode on board this fighter-bomber. The tail unit is then fixed, and the B61-12 functions similarly to the earlier B61-4.

Through a digital interface, the B61-12 can carry the F-15E and B-2A as a guided bomb, but these aircraft are based in the UK, where there are no such weapons.

Only the F-35A of the Block 4 modification can cope with such a mission, but the fighter-bomber will be modified to this level only in a couple of years.

Thus, the earlier delivery of the B61-12 to the countries of the Old World is nothing more than a political move designed to demonstrate the unity of the United States and European NATO allies in the face of the “threat” from the Russian Federation. In fact, the new bombs will lie "dead weight" in Europe.

Meanwhile, the modernized version of the B61-12, in particular, does not provide for a parachute, but there is a new tail section with an inertial guidance system that increases the accuracy of the bomb.
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3 comments
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  1. Vladimir Tuzakov
    Vladimir Tuzakov
    -1
    28 October 2022 20: 14
    So here to look both ways, so that under the guise of warheads of nuclear weapons they do not end up in Ukraine ... The main work for the Foreign Intelligence Service of the Russian Federation, but only failures are heard, victories are not felt ...
    1. Yyrp
      Yyrp
      -1
      29 October 2022 01: 55
      A thermonuclear munition is a complex technical complex consisting of many critical components, and the absence of one of these components makes it impossible to detonate the munition.
      For example, we have the same B61-12 bomb, but there is no standard data input equipment for it, or this equipment is there but there is no cyclogram for detonating the ammunition, and there will be no nuclear explosion.
      Critical components of a nuclear explosive device are stored in separate warehouses for safety, and they are only together before the actual use of this weapon. In our regiment, for example, there were twenty-seven warheads of one hundred and fifty kilotons, and we had all the technical means for the combat use of these warheads, but there was no launch program, and the regiment was not combat-ready before receiving this program.
      And in the USA a few years ago they "left to the side" (there were reports in the media), several fully equipped warheads and with control equipment. That is, now someone and somewhere, even in the same Ukraine, can quite calmly carry out several nuclear explosions.
  2. smart fellow
    smart fellow
    +1
    29 October 2022 05: 37
    So, F-16 Tornado unable to use the B61-12 as a guided bomb, since on board this fighter-bomber the bomb only works in analog mode.

    F-16 и Tornado they are 2 different planes. And what difference does it make in what mode a nuclear bomb will fall on you? And by the way, what is analog mode?

    B61-12 can be used in free-fall and corrective modes from the B2 strategic bomber, F-15, F-16, PA-200 Tornado fighter-bombers, as well as "future aircraft platforms F-35, B-21, F / A -18F".

    https://ria.ru/20221027/ssha-1827091773.html