Blackmail on the nuclear level

The United States occupies countries by deploying military bases and nuclear warheads there

Recently, the reputable broadsheet newspaper The Telegraph has stated, with reference to the documents from the American military department, that the USA is going to station its nuclear bombs
in yet another European country. The country in question is Great Britain, where preparations are in full swing at Royal Air Force (RAF) base in Lakenheath, Suffolk County to receive special munitions and maintenance personnel.

The Statue of Liberty’s grin

The evidence that the Pentagon decided to turn the base, located 100 kilometres northeast of London, into another point of tension on the map of Europe is indirect. The published US Air Force budget for the current year notes that a 144-bed dormitory should be built at Lakenheath ‘to house the increase in enlisted personnel as the result of the potential surety mission’. In official US military documents, the word ‘surety’ is known to often refer to the concept of handling nuclear weapons.
The wording of the documents is carefully chosen — the Pentagon does not intend to declare its intentions ahead of time. A Pentagon spokesperson commented on the message evasively, “It is US policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence or absence of nuclear weapons in any general or specific location.”
The RAF base in Suffolk is a wellknown facility to Americans in terms of stationing nuclear warheads. During the Cold War, they already deployed their atomic bombs there, and removed them only in 2008. However, 15 years have passed, and the mothballed storage vaults are likely to be filled with deadly metal again.
The expansion of the American presence in the Foggy Albion also has political implications. The presence of serious American contingents in the country always implies strong pressure on its leadership, especially in crisis situations.
Let us consider the case of Germany, which is literally packed with US military personnel. The remnants of the political willpower of its leadership are completely paralysed. Despite the growing indignation of its citizens, Berlin continues to strictly march in lockstep with Washington’s policy, even in such sensitive issues as the incident with the Russian Nord Stream pipeline network or assistance to Ukraine.
At present, 100–150 B61 aircraft bombs of various modifications are stored at six air bases in five countries. Among these countries are Belgium (Kleine Brogel), Germany (Büchel), the Netherlands (Volkel), Italy (Ghedi and Aviano), Türkiye (Incirlik). They participate in joint NATO nuclear sharing missions. In addition, NATO conducts Steadfast Noon drills every autumn.
The situation with the deployment of American military bases in Europe and around the world is generally paradoxical. Washington keeps pontificating on the threat to the United States posed by Russia and China, yet there is not a single base under the Russian tricolour or the Chinese red banner in Nicaragua, Cuba or Mexico.
On the contrary, US military facilities are crawling closer towards the borders of the Russian Federation and China without stopping. The sheer fact that last December, the USA consistently signed a series of agreements with the states of Northern Europe, according to which the Pentagon gained immediate access to 36 bases in Sweden, Finland and Denmark, says a lot. These facilities include airfields, training grounds, and artillery supply depots. In fact, in less than a month, Americans got their hands on an extensive network of facilities ready to receive a large military group. For example, the distance from the Finnish Rissala Karelia Air Command Air Base to the Russian border is only 137 kilometres.

Bomb-astic danger

The Pentagon’s plans to expand the area of deployment of its nuclear bombs inevitably return the discussion about the possibility of provocations from the West and the crisis of agreements on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Great Britain is not the only country where WC3–type storage vaults remain and can be put in working order. Today, there are two more bases in Türkiye and Germany, as well as one base in Greece. So far, no plans have been announced as for their restoration, but given the international situation, they might well appear. 
However, Polish activity on this track, especially in the public field, has decreased.
When the current Kiev regime falls apart, the title of Europe’s main Russophobic nest will pass to Warsaw — for this, it is heavily pumped with weapons. Yet, Americans will not keep their nuclear weapons in a buffer state. Therefore, when US and NATO officials dismiss Polish demands, they are most likely not lying — they are not going to allow Warsaw to join joint nuclear sharing missions yet.
Some media outlets in the West are trying to artificially link the possible placement of nuclear bombs at the Lakenheath base with the return of tactical nuclear weapons [TNW] to Belarus. However, the situation in this case is the exact opposite. Speaking of the British nuclear arsenal, it would not go amiss to mention that London is completely dependent on the United States for its filling. The fact is that after the end of the Cold War, the country refused to maintain a fleet of strategic bombers, and only left four Vanguard class submarines as nuclear weapons carriers equipped with Trident II missiles leased from Americans.
It is highly likely that Americans will deliver their upgraded B61–12 airdropped gravity bombs to the already familiar base, as well as to other European facilities. The main В61 difference from previous modifications is that the bomb has become guided and gliding — the internal parachute has been replaced with an elongated tail kit with rudders to adjust the flight, and an inertial guidance system. This allows dropping ammunition from a great height and at a considerable distance from the target while significantly increasing its accuracy.
The deployment of American nukes in Britain is another step taken by the West towards military escalation in Europe. The step is unmotivated, and made for the purpose of obvious provocation. Looking at the fuss over nuclear weapons and the scale of the ongoing Steadfast Defender exercises, it has to be stated that NATO, alas, is not going to lower the degree of tension yet.

Today, 100–150 B61 aircraft bombs of various modifications are stored at six air bases in five countries.
Among these countries are:
• Belgium (Kleine Brogel);
• Germany (Büchel);
• the Netherlands (Volkel);
• Italy (Ghedi and Aviano);
• Türkiye (Incirlik).
They participate in joint NATO nuclear sharing missions. In addition, NATO conducts Steadfast Noon drills every autumn.

By Anton Popov