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Nuclear sharing

Nuclear sharing is a concept in NATO's policy of nuclear deterrence, which allows member countries without nuclear weapons of their own to participate in the planning for the use of nuclear weapons by NATO. In particular, it provides for the armed forces of those countries to be involved in delivering nuclear weapons in the event of their use.

     Nuclear-weapon-free zones      Nuclear-armed states      Nuclear sharing      Other NPT Parties

As part of nuclear sharing, the participating countries carry out consultations and make common decisions on nuclear weapons policy, maintain technical equipment (notably nuclear-capable airplanes) required for the use of nuclear weapons and store nuclear weapons on their territory. In case of war, the United States has told NATO allies the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) would no longer be in effect.[1]

NATO Edit

Weapons provided for nuclear sharing (2021)[2]
Country Base Estimated
  Belgium Kleine Brogel 20
  Germany Büchel 20
  Italy Aviano 20
  Italy Ghedi
  Netherlands Volkel 20
  Turkey Incirlik 20
100

Of the three nuclear powers in NATO (France, the United Kingdom and the United States), only the United States is known to have provided weapons for nuclear sharing. As of November 2009, Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey are hosting U.S. nuclear weapons as part of NATO's nuclear sharing policy.[3][4] Canada hosted weapons under the control of the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), rather than NATO, until 1984, and Greece until 2001.[3][5][6] The United Kingdom also received U.S. tactical nuclear weapons such as nuclear artillery and Lance missiles until 1992, even though the UK is a nuclear-weapon state in its own right; these were mainly deployed in Germany.

In peacetime, the nuclear weapons stored in non-nuclear countries are guarded by United States Air Force (USAF) personnel and previously, some nuclear artillery and missile systems were guarded by United States Army (USA) personnel; the Permissive Action Link codes required for arming them remain under American control. In case of war, the weapons are to be mounted on the participating countries' warplanes. The weapons are under custody and control of USAF Munitions Support Squadrons co-located on NATO main operating bases who work together with the host nation forces.[3]

 
A U.S. nuclear weapon storage system at Volkel Air Base to store weapons for delivery by Royal Netherlands Air Force F-16s.

As of 2021, 100 tactical B61 nuclear bombs are believed to be deployed in Europe under the nuclear sharing arrangement.[2] The weapons are stored within a vault in hardened aircraft shelters, using the USAF WS3 Weapon Storage and Security System. The delivery warplanes used are F-16s and Panavia Tornados.[7]

 
Canadian CF-101B assigned to NORAD, firing an inert version of the AIR-2 Genie nuclear-armed air-to-air missile in 1982

Historically, the shared nuclear weapon delivery systems were not restricted to bombs. Greece used Nike-Hercules Missiles as well as A-7 Corsair II attack aircraft. Canada had Bomarc nuclear-armed anti-aircraft missiles, Honest John surface-to-surface missiles and the AIR-2 Genie nuclear-armed air-to-air rocket, as well as tactical nuclear bombs for the CF-104 fighter.[8] PGM-19 Jupiter medium-range ballistic missiles were shared with Italian air force units and Turkish units with U.S. dual key systems to enable the warheads.[9] PGM-17 Thor intermediate-range ballistic missiles were forward deployed to the UK with RAF crews.[10][11] An extended version of nuclear sharing, the NATO Multilateral Force was a plan to equip NATO surface ships of the member states with UGM-27 Polaris missiles, but the UK ended up purchasing the Polaris missiles and using its own warheads, and the plan to equip NATO surface ships was abandoned.[12] After the Soviet Union collapsed, the nuclear weapon types shared within NATO were reduced to tactical nuclear bombs deployed by Dual-Capable Aircraft (DCA).[3] According to the press, Eastern European Member States of NATO have resisted the withdrawal of the shared nuclear bombs from Europe, fearing it would show a weakening of U.S. commitment to defend Europe against Russia.[13]

In Italy, B61 bombs are stored at the Ghedi Air Base and at the Aviano Air Base. According to the former Italian President Francesco Cossiga, Italy's plans of retaliation during the Cold War consisted of targeting nuclear weapons in Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the event the Soviet Union waged nuclear war against NATO.[14][15] He acknowledged the presence of U.S. nuclear weapons in Italy, and speculated about the possible presence of British and French nuclear weapons.[16]

The only German nuclear base is located in Büchel Air Base, near the border with Luxembourg. The base has 11 Protective Aircraft Shelters (PAS) equipped with WS3 Vaults for storage of nuclear weapons, each with a maximum capacity of 44 B61 nuclear bombs. There are 20 B61 bombs stored on the base for delivery by German PA-200 Tornado IDS bombers of the JaBoG 33 squadron. By 2024 Germany's Tornado IDS aircraft are due to be retired, and it is unclear what nuclear sharing role, if any, Germany will then retain.[3][17] In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Germany announced that it would buy 35 F-35 jets to replace the Tornado in its nuclear sharing role.[18] On 10 June 2013, former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers confirmed the existence of 22 shared nuclear bombs at Volkel Air Base.[19] This was inadvertently confirmed again in June 2019 when a public draft report to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly was discovered to reference the existence of US nuclear weapons at Volkel, as well as locations in Belgium, Italy, Germany, and Turkey. A new version of the report was released on 11 July 2019 without reference to the locations of the weapons.[20]

In 2017 due to an increasingly unstable relationship between the United States and Turkey it was suggested that the United States consider removing 50 tactical nuclear weapons stored under American control at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey.[21][22][23][24][25][26][27] The presence of US nuclear weapons in Turkey gained increased public attention in October 2019 with the deterioration of relations between the two nations after the Turkish military incursion into Syria.[28][29][30][31][32]

In 2022, after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, reports appeared about the possible inclusion of Poland in the NATO nuclear sharing program.[33]

Weapon List Edit

Preparations for Russia–Belarus nuclear weapons sharing Edit

On 27 February 2022, shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, Belarusians voted in a referendum to repeal the post-Soviet Constitutional prohibition on basing of nuclear weapons in Belarus.[34] At a meeting on 25 June 2022, Russian President Putin and President of Belarus Lukashenko agreed the deployment of Russian short-range nuclear-capable missiles. The deployment of nuclear warheads for nuclear sharing would require a further decision, possibly after a number of years, and might be tied to future NATO decisions.[35]

Russia will supply Belarus with nuclear-capable Iskander-M missile systems.[35] Both conventional and nuclear versions of the missile would be provided to the Belarusians.[36] Additionally, Putin said that he would facilitate the modifications necessary for Belarusian Su-25 bombers to carry nuclear missiles.[37]

Potential nuclear sharing between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia Edit

It is common belief among foreign officials that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have an understanding in which Pakistan would supply Saudi Arabia with warheads if security in the Persian Gulf was threatened. A Western official told The Times that Saudi Arabia could have the nuclear warheads in a matter of days of approaching Pakistan. Pakistan's ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Muhammed Naeem Khan, was quoted as saying, "Pakistan considers the security of Saudi Arabia not just as a diplomatic or an internal matter but as a personal matter." Naeem also said that the Saudi leadership considered Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to be one country and that any threat to Saudi Arabia is also a threat to Pakistan.[38] Other vendors were also likely to enter into a bidding war if Riyadh indicated that it was seeking nuclear warheads. Both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have denied the existence of any such agreement.[39] Western intelligence sources have told The Guardian that "the Saudi monarchy paid for up to 60% of the Pakistani nuclear programme, and in return has the option to buy a small nuclear arsenal ('five to six warheads') off the shelf".[40] Saudi Arabia has potential dual-purpose delivery infrastructure, including Tornado IDS and F-15S fighter bombers and improved Chinese CSS-2 intermediate range ballistic missiles with accuracy sufficient for nuclear warheads but delivered with high explosive warheads.[41][42]

In November 2013, a variety of sources told BBC Newsnight that Saudi Arabia was able to obtain nuclear weapons from Pakistan at will. The new-report further stated, according to western experts, it was alleged that Pakistan's defense sector, including its missile and defense labs, had received plentiful financial assistance from Saudi Arabia.[43] Gary Samore, an adviser to Barack Obama, said, "I do think that the Saudis believe that they have some understanding with Pakistan that, in extremis, they would have claim to acquire nuclear weapons from Pakistan."[44] Amos Yadlin, formerly head of Israeli military intelligence, said "They already paid for the bomb, they will go to Pakistan and bring what they need to bring."[44]

Response Edit

According to the US based think-tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, the BBC report on possible nuclear sharing between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is partially incorrect. There is no indication of the validity or credibility of the BBC's sources, and the article fails to expand on what essentially constitutes an unverified lead. Furthermore, if Pakistan were to transfer nuclear warheads onto Saudi soil, it is highly unlikely that either nation would face any international repercussions if both nations were to follow strict nuclear sharing guidelines like those of NATO.[45] A research paper produced by the British House of Commons Defence Select Committee states that as long as current NATO nuclear sharing arrangements remain in place, the NATO states would have few valid grounds for complaint if such a transfer were to occur.[46]

Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty considerations Edit

Both the Non-Aligned Movement and critics within NATO believe that NATO's nuclear sharing violates Articles I and II of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which prohibit the transfer and the acceptance of direct or indirect control, respectively, over nuclear weapons.[citation needed]

The United States insists that its forces control the weapons and that no transfer of the nuclear bombs or control over them is intended "unless and until a decision were made to go to war, at which the NPT would no longer be controlling", so there is no breach of the NPT.[47][48] However, the pilots and other staff of the "non-nuclear" NATO countries practice handling and delivering the US nuclear bombs, and non-US warplanes have been adapted to deliver US nuclear bombs which involved the transfer of some technical nuclear weapons information. Even if the US argument is considered legally correct, some argue such peacetime operations appear to contravene both the objective and the spirit of the NPT.[46] Essentially, all preparations for waging nuclear war have already been made by supposedly non-nuclear weapon states.

There are concerns that this arrangement undermines, and possibly contravenes, Articles I and II of the NPT. According to US lawyers, the transfer of control is legal because, on the outbreak of "general war", the NPT has failed in its purpose and can be regarded as no longer in controlling force. This arrangement was conceived in the early to mid-1960s to contain proliferation. It is arguable that several European nations including Germany were persuaded not to become nuclear states themselves because of the NATO nuclear umbrella. However, a nuclear sharing arrangement that may have had some logic in the pre-NPT and cold war world is now a source of weakening for the NPT, as it offers a rationale to other states to pursue a similar programme. NATO's nuclear sharing programme could now be used as an excuse by China, Pakistan or any other nuclear-armed nation to establish a similar arrangement. Imagine if China were to offer such an arrangement to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions. Or if Pakistan were to undertake nuclear sharing with Saudi Arabia or Iran. Such developments would be perceived as a threat to security in North Asia or the Middle East, and even as a direct threat to NATO. Yet, while the NATO arrangements remain in place, NATO members would have few valid grounds for complaint. The Committee should recommend the immediate termination of NATO nuclear sharing arrangements.[46]

— Evidence submitted to House of Commons Defence Committee (UK Parliament), The future of NATO and European defence (4 March 2008) (p. Ev 80, paras. 50–51)

At the time the NPT was being negotiated, the NATO nuclear sharing agreements were secret. These agreements were disclosed to some of the states, including the Soviet Union, negotiating the treaty along with the NATO arguments for not treating them as proliferation. Most of the states that signed the NPT in 1968 would not have known about these agreements and interpretations at that time.[49]

See also Edit

References Edit

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External links Edit

  • NATO Nuclear Sharing, Tim Street, Oxford Research Group, ORG Explains No. 5, June 2018
  • U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Europe, Hans M. Kristensen, Natural Resources Defense Council, February 2005
  • , joint PENN/BASIC-BITS-CESD-ASPR Research Note 97.3, June 1997
  • , PENN Research Report 2000.1, Martin Butcher et al., 2000
  • Nuclear Sharing in NATO: Is it Legal?, Otfried Nassauer, Institute for Energy and Environmental Research, May 2001
  • Questions of Command and Control: NATO, Nuclear Sharing and the NPT, Project on European Nuclear Non-Proliferation, March 2000
  • , Denise Groves, Berlin Information-center for Transatlantic Security, 6 August 2000
  • NATO's Positions Regarding Nuclear Non-Proliferation, Arms Control and Disarmament and Related Issues, NATO, June 2005
  • United States Air Forces in Europe – Munitions Support Squadron, GlobalSecurity.org
  • Statement on behalf of the non-aligned state parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, 2 May 2005
  • , British American Security Information Council, May 1998
  • , Nicola Butler, Acronym Institute, 2005
  • A Constructed Peace: The Making of the European Settlement, 1945–1963 (Chapter 5: Eisenhower and Nuclear Sharing), Marc Trachtenberg, 1999, Princeton University Press, ISBN 0-691-00273-8
  • Commitment to purpose : how alliance partnership won the cold war, Richard L. Kugler, RAND, MC-190-RC/FF, 1993, ISBN 0-8330-1385-8
  • The Woodrow Wilson Center's Nuclear Proliferation International History Project or NPIHP is a global network of individuals and institutions engaged in the study of international nuclear history through archival documents, oral history interviews and other empirical sources.
  • Soviet Nuclear Weapons in Hungary 1961–1991

nuclear, sharing, concept, nato, policy, nuclear, deterrence, which, allows, member, countries, without, nuclear, weapons, their, participate, planning, nuclear, weapons, nato, particular, provides, armed, forces, those, countries, involved, delivering, nuclea. Nuclear sharing is a concept in NATO s policy of nuclear deterrence which allows member countries without nuclear weapons of their own to participate in the planning for the use of nuclear weapons by NATO In particular it provides for the armed forces of those countries to be involved in delivering nuclear weapons in the event of their use Nuclear weapon free zones Nuclear armed states Nuclear sharing Other NPT PartiesAs part of nuclear sharing the participating countries carry out consultations and make common decisions on nuclear weapons policy maintain technical equipment notably nuclear capable airplanes required for the use of nuclear weapons and store nuclear weapons on their territory In case of war the United States has told NATO allies the Non Proliferation Treaty NPT would no longer be in effect 1 Contents 1 NATO 1 1 Weapon List 2 Preparations for Russia Belarus nuclear weapons sharing 3 Potential nuclear sharing between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia 3 1 Response 4 Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty considerations 5 See also 6 References 7 External linksNATO EditWeapons provided for nuclear sharing 2021 2 Country Base Estimated nbsp Belgium Kleine Brogel 20 nbsp Germany Buchel 20 nbsp Italy Aviano 20 nbsp Italy Ghedi nbsp Netherlands Volkel 20 nbsp Turkey Incirlik 20100Of the three nuclear powers in NATO France the United Kingdom and the United States only the United States is known to have provided weapons for nuclear sharing As of November 2009 update Belgium Germany Italy the Netherlands and Turkey are hosting U S nuclear weapons as part of NATO s nuclear sharing policy 3 4 Canada hosted weapons under the control of the North American Aerospace Defense Command NORAD rather than NATO until 1984 and Greece until 2001 3 5 6 The United Kingdom also received U S tactical nuclear weapons such as nuclear artillery and Lance missiles until 1992 even though the UK is a nuclear weapon state in its own right these were mainly deployed in Germany In peacetime the nuclear weapons stored in non nuclear countries are guarded by United States Air Force USAF personnel and previously some nuclear artillery and missile systems were guarded by United States Army USA personnel the Permissive Action Link codes required for arming them remain under American control In case of war the weapons are to be mounted on the participating countries warplanes The weapons are under custody and control of USAF Munitions Support Squadrons co located on NATO main operating bases who work together with the host nation forces 3 nbsp A U S nuclear weapon storage system at Volkel Air Base to store weapons for delivery by Royal Netherlands Air Force F 16s As of 2021 update 100 tactical B61 nuclear bombs are believed to be deployed in Europe under the nuclear sharing arrangement 2 The weapons are stored within a vault in hardened aircraft shelters using the USAF WS3 Weapon Storage and Security System The delivery warplanes used are F 16s and Panavia Tornados 7 nbsp Canadian CF 101B assigned to NORAD firing an inert version of the AIR 2 Genie nuclear armed air to air missile in 1982Historically the shared nuclear weapon delivery systems were not restricted to bombs Greece used Nike Hercules Missiles as well as A 7 Corsair II attack aircraft Canada had Bomarc nuclear armed anti aircraft missiles Honest John surface to surface missiles and the AIR 2 Genie nuclear armed air to air rocket as well as tactical nuclear bombs for the CF 104 fighter 8 PGM 19 Jupiter medium range ballistic missiles were shared with Italian air force units and Turkish units with U S dual key systems to enable the warheads 9 PGM 17 Thor intermediate range ballistic missiles were forward deployed to the UK with RAF crews 10 11 An extended version of nuclear sharing the NATO Multilateral Force was a plan to equip NATO surface ships of the member states with UGM 27 Polaris missiles but the UK ended up purchasing the Polaris missiles and using its own warheads and the plan to equip NATO surface ships was abandoned 12 After the Soviet Union collapsed the nuclear weapon types shared within NATO were reduced to tactical nuclear bombs deployed by Dual Capable Aircraft DCA 3 According to the press Eastern European Member States of NATO have resisted the withdrawal of the shared nuclear bombs from Europe fearing it would show a weakening of U S commitment to defend Europe against Russia 13 In Italy B61 bombs are stored at the Ghedi Air Base and at the Aviano Air Base According to the former Italian President Francesco Cossiga Italy s plans of retaliation during the Cold War consisted of targeting nuclear weapons in Czechoslovakia and Hungary in the event the Soviet Union waged nuclear war against NATO 14 15 He acknowledged the presence of U S nuclear weapons in Italy and speculated about the possible presence of British and French nuclear weapons 16 The only German nuclear base is located in Buchel Air Base near the border with Luxembourg The base has 11 Protective Aircraft Shelters PAS equipped with WS3 Vaults for storage of nuclear weapons each with a maximum capacity of 44 B61 nuclear bombs There are 20 B61 bombs stored on the base for delivery by German PA 200 Tornado IDS bombers of the JaBoG 33 squadron By 2024 Germany s Tornado IDS aircraft are due to be retired and it is unclear what nuclear sharing role if any Germany will then retain 3 17 In 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine Germany announced that it would buy 35 F 35 jets to replace the Tornado in its nuclear sharing role 18 On 10 June 2013 former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers confirmed the existence of 22 shared nuclear bombs at Volkel Air Base 19 This was inadvertently confirmed again in June 2019 when a public draft report to the NATO Parliamentary Assembly was discovered to reference the existence of US nuclear weapons at Volkel as well as locations in Belgium Italy Germany and Turkey A new version of the report was released on 11 July 2019 without reference to the locations of the weapons 20 In 2017 due to an increasingly unstable relationship between the United States and Turkey it was suggested that the United States consider removing 50 tactical nuclear weapons stored under American control at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 The presence of US nuclear weapons in Turkey gained increased public attention in October 2019 with the deterioration of relations between the two nations after the Turkish military incursion into Syria 28 29 30 31 32 In 2022 after the Russian invasion of Ukraine reports appeared about the possible inclusion of Poland in the NATO nuclear sharing program 33 Weapon List Edit This list is incomplete you can help by adding missing items November 2010 This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed February 2019 Learn how and when to remove this template message Current B61 nuclear bomb Belgium Germany Italy Netherlands and Turkey Former AIR 2 Genie Canada B57 nuclear bomb Canada United Kingdom and West Germany B28 nuclear bomb Canada and the United Kingdom B43 nuclear bomb Canada United Kingdom B61 nuclear bomb Greece BGM 109G Ground Launched Cruise Missile Belgium Italy Netherlands United Kingdom and West Germany CIM 10 Bomarc Canada Mark 7 nuclear bomb United Kingdom Mk 101 Lulu Netherlands and the United Kingdom MGR 1 Honest John Belgium Canada Greece Italy Netherlands Turkey United Kingdom and West Germany MGM 1 Matador West Germany MGM 5 Corporal United Kingdom MGM 29 Sergeant West Germany MGM 52 Lance Belgium Italy Netherlands United Kingdom and West Germany MIM 14 Nike Hercules Belgium Greece Italy Netherlands Turkey and West Germany Pershing 1 West Germany Pershing 1a West Germany PGM 17 Thor United Kingdom PGM 19 Jupiter Italy and Turkey UGM 27 Polaris Italy W33 and W48 Artillery Shells Canada Belgium Greece Italy Netherlands Turkey United Kingdom and West Germany Preparations for Russia Belarus nuclear weapons sharing EditOn 27 February 2022 shortly after the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine Belarusians voted in a referendum to repeal the post Soviet Constitutional prohibition on basing of nuclear weapons in Belarus 34 At a meeting on 25 June 2022 Russian President Putin and President of Belarus Lukashenko agreed the deployment of Russian short range nuclear capable missiles The deployment of nuclear warheads for nuclear sharing would require a further decision possibly after a number of years and might be tied to future NATO decisions 35 Russia will supply Belarus with nuclear capable Iskander M missile systems 35 Both conventional and nuclear versions of the missile would be provided to the Belarusians 36 Additionally Putin said that he would facilitate the modifications necessary for Belarusian Su 25 bombers to carry nuclear missiles 37 Potential nuclear sharing between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia EditIt is common belief among foreign officials that Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have an understanding in which Pakistan would supply Saudi Arabia with warheads if security in the Persian Gulf was threatened A Western official told The Times that Saudi Arabia could have the nuclear warheads in a matter of days of approaching Pakistan Pakistan s ambassador to Saudi Arabia Muhammed Naeem Khan was quoted as saying Pakistan considers the security of Saudi Arabia not just as a diplomatic or an internal matter but as a personal matter Naeem also said that the Saudi leadership considered Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to be one country and that any threat to Saudi Arabia is also a threat to Pakistan 38 Other vendors were also likely to enter into a bidding war if Riyadh indicated that it was seeking nuclear warheads Both Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have denied the existence of any such agreement 39 Western intelligence sources have told The Guardian that the Saudi monarchy paid for up to 60 of the Pakistani nuclear programme and in return has the option to buy a small nuclear arsenal five to six warheads off the shelf 40 Saudi Arabia has potential dual purpose delivery infrastructure including Tornado IDS and F 15S fighter bombers and improved Chinese CSS 2 intermediate range ballistic missiles with accuracy sufficient for nuclear warheads but delivered with high explosive warheads 41 42 In November 2013 a variety of sources told BBC Newsnight that Saudi Arabia was able to obtain nuclear weapons from Pakistan at will The new report further stated according to western experts it was alleged that Pakistan s defense sector including its missile and defense labs had received plentiful financial assistance from Saudi Arabia 43 Gary Samore an adviser to Barack Obama said I do think that the Saudis believe that they have some understanding with Pakistan that in extremis they would have claim to acquire nuclear weapons from Pakistan 44 Amos Yadlin formerly head of Israeli military intelligence said They already paid for the bomb they will go to Pakistan and bring what they need to bring 44 Response Edit According to the US based think tank the Center for Strategic and International Studies the BBC report on possible nuclear sharing between Pakistan and Saudi Arabia is partially incorrect There is no indication of the validity or credibility of the BBC s sources and the article fails to expand on what essentially constitutes an unverified lead Furthermore if Pakistan were to transfer nuclear warheads onto Saudi soil it is highly unlikely that either nation would face any international repercussions if both nations were to follow strict nuclear sharing guidelines like those of NATO 45 A research paper produced by the British House of Commons Defence Select Committee states that as long as current NATO nuclear sharing arrangements remain in place the NATO states would have few valid grounds for complaint if such a transfer were to occur 46 Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty considerations EditBoth the Non Aligned Movement and critics within NATO believe that NATO s nuclear sharing violates Articles I and II of the Nuclear Non Proliferation Treaty NPT which prohibit the transfer and the acceptance of direct or indirect control respectively over nuclear weapons citation needed The United States insists that its forces control the weapons and that no transfer of the nuclear bombs or control over them is intended unless and until a decision were made to go to war at which the NPT would no longer be controlling so there is no breach of the NPT 47 48 However the pilots and other staff of the non nuclear NATO countries practice handling and delivering the US nuclear bombs and non US warplanes have been adapted to deliver US nuclear bombs which involved the transfer of some technical nuclear weapons information Even if the US argument is considered legally correct some argue such peacetime operations appear to contravene both the objective and the spirit of the NPT 46 Essentially all preparations for waging nuclear war have already been made by supposedly non nuclear weapon states There are concerns that this arrangement undermines and possibly contravenes Articles I and II of the NPT According to US lawyers the transfer of control is legal because on the outbreak of general war the NPT has failed in its purpose and can be regarded as no longer in controlling force This arrangement was conceived in the early to mid 1960s to contain proliferation It is arguable that several European nations including Germany were persuaded not to become nuclear states themselves because of the NATO nuclear umbrella However a nuclear sharing arrangement that may have had some logic in the pre NPT and cold war world is now a source of weakening for the NPT as it offers a rationale to other states to pursue a similar programme NATO s nuclear sharing programme could now be used as an excuse by China Pakistan or any other nuclear armed nation to establish a similar arrangement Imagine if China were to offer such an arrangement to persuade North Korea to give up its nuclear ambitions Or if Pakistan were to undertake nuclear sharing with Saudi Arabia or Iran Such developments would be perceived as a threat to security in North Asia or the Middle East and even as a direct threat to NATO Yet while the NATO arrangements remain in place NATO members would have few valid grounds for complaint The Committee should recommend the immediate termination of NATO nuclear sharing arrangements 46 Evidence submitted to House of Commons Defence Committee UK Parliament The future of NATO and European defence 4 March 2008 p Ev 80 paras 50 51 At the time the NPT was being negotiated the NATO nuclear sharing agreements were secret These agreements were disclosed to some of the states including the Soviet Union negotiating the treaty along with the NATO arguments for not treating them as proliferation Most of the states that signed the NPT in 1968 would not have known about these agreements and interpretations at that time 49 See also Edit1958 US UK Mutual Defence Agreement United States military deployments around the world U S nuclear weapons in Japan Taiwan and weapons of mass destructionReferences Edit The Nuclear Weapons Non Proliferation Articles I II and VI of the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons archived from the original on 28 January 2015 retrieved 2 September 2015 a b Hans M Kristensen Matt Korda 26 January 2021 United States nuclear weapons 2021 Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists 77 1 43 63 doi 10 1080 00963402 2020 1859865 ISSN 0096 3402 Wikidata Q105699219 About 100 of these versions 3 and 4 are thought to be deployed at six bases in five European countries Aviano and Ghedi in Italy Buchel in Germany Incirlik in Turkey Kleine Brogel in Belgium and Volkel in the Netherlands This number has declined since 2009 partly due to reduction of operational storage capacity at Aviano and Incirlik Kristensen 2015 2019c Concerns were raised about the security of the nuclear weapons at the Incirlik base during the failed coup attempt in Turkey in July 2016 and the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee for Europe stated in September 2020 that our presence quite honestly in Turkey is certainly threatened and further noted that we don t know what s going to happen to Incirlik Gehrke 2020 Despite rumors in late 2017 that the weapons had been quietly removed Hammond 2017 reports in 2019 that US officials had reviewed emergency nuclear weapons evacuation plans Sanger 2019 indicated that that there were still weapons present at the base The numbers appear to have been reduced however from up to 50 to approximately 20 a b c d e Malcolm Chalmers and Simon Lunn March 2010 NATO s Tactical Nuclear Dilemma Royal United Services Institute archived from the original on 7 April 2019 retrieved 16 March 2010 Der Spiegel Foreign Minister Wants US Nukes out of Germany 2009 04 10 Der Spiegel 10 April 2009 Archived from the original on 14 February 2012 Retrieved 4 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original on 14 August 2017 Retrieved 14 August 2017 Laura Spagnuolo 23 April 2009 NATO nuclear burden sharing and NPT obligations PDF British American Security Information Council archived from the original PDF on 17 March 2012 retrieved 7 August 2009External links EditNATO Nuclear Sharing Tim Street Oxford Research Group ORG Explains No 5 June 2018 U S Nuclear Weapons in Europe Hans M Kristensen Natural Resources Defense Council February 2005 NATO Nuclear Sharing and the NPT Questions to be Answered joint PENN BASIC BITS CESD ASPR Research Note 97 3 June 1997 Questions of Command and Control NATO Nuclear Sharing and the NPT PENN Research Report 2000 1 Martin Butcher et al 2000 Nuclear Sharing in NATO Is it Legal Otfried Nassauer Institute for Energy and Environmental Research May 2001 Questions of Command and Control NATO Nuclear Sharing and the NPT Project on European Nuclear Non Proliferation March 2000 NATO Nuclear Power Sharing and the NPT Denise Groves Berlin Information center for Transatlantic Security 6 August 2000 NATO s Positions Regarding Nuclear Non Proliferation Arms Control and Disarmament and Related Issues NATO June 2005 United States Air Forces in Europe Munitions Support Squadron GlobalSecurity org Statement on behalf of the non aligned state parties to the Treaty on the Non Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons 2 May 2005 Opposition to Nuclear Sharing Leads to Proposed Senate Amendment on NATO Expansion British American Security Information Council May 1998 NPT a la Carte NATO and Nuclear Non Proliferation Nicola Butler Acronym Institute 2005 A Constructed Peace The Making of the European Settlement 1945 1963 Chapter 5 Eisenhower and Nuclear Sharing Marc Trachtenberg 1999 Princeton University Press ISBN 0 691 00273 8 Commitment to purpose how alliance partnership won the cold war Richard L Kugler RAND MC 190 RC FF 1993 ISBN 0 8330 1385 8 The Woodrow Wilson Center s Nuclear Proliferation International History Project or NPIHP is a global network of individuals and institutions engaged in the study of international nuclear history through archival documents oral history interviews and other empirical sources Soviet Nuclear Weapons in Hungary 1961 1991 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Nuclear sharing amp oldid 1163137369, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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