Possible US nuclear weapons accident at Dutch airbase?

A photograph of four people inspecting a damaged B61 nuclear bomb suggests a nuclear weapons accident may have taken place at the US-operated Volkel Air Base in The Netherlands within the last few years.

On Monday, Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) wrote in his blog about the discovery of the photo, which was found in a Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) student briefing from 2022. It shows four men, three of whom are in uniform, gathered around a seemingly damaged B61. Kristensen notes that one is reading a document from a folder with markings similar to those found on US secret documents.

Four people inspect a B61 bomb — The image in what appears to be an inspection of a damaged B61 nuclear bomb. Photo: Federation of American Scientists / Los Alamos National Laboratory

While the location of the photograph isn’t stated in the student briefing, FAS believes it was taken from inside a Protective Aircraft Shelter (PAS) at Volkel Air Base in The Netherlands. Volkel is one of six US/NATO bases in Europe where B61 nuclear bombs are stored.

Kristensen emphasises that the location of the image remains unconfirmed; that it’s unknown if the bomb is real or a trainer; or if the damage shown was from a real incident or just a training exercise. However if the picture was from a nuclear weapons accident, “it would constitute the first publicly known case of a recent nuclear weapons accident at an airbase in Europe.”

Along with other US-run bases in Europe – like Lakenheath in Suffolk – the special weapons storage bunkers at Volkel have been upgraded to store the latest B61-12 bomb. Deployment of the B61-12 to bases in Europe is expected to begin this spring with Lakenheath and Volkel likely destinations.

CND General Secretary Kate Hudson said:

“This report is a stark reminder of the potential dangers of hosting nuclear weapons and the grave dangers they pose to civilian populations. These weapons don’t ensure public safety, they ensure our annihilation on the frontline of a nuclear war between the US and Russia. CND calls on the British government to clearly state that the newly upgraded B61-12 nuclear weapons will never be welcome and to refuse to accept their deployment.”

Additional quote:

“The Pentagon claims that the nuclear bomb pictured was a training device – if so, we were lucky this time. Next time the air crew may be facing a real accident not a simulated one. The reality of these weapons is that sheer catastrophe would follow their use – whether by accident or design.

Having nuclear weapons doesn’t ensure public safety, they ensure our annihilation. The US weapon shown is like one of many that will be coming to Europe, indeed some will come to Lakenheath in Suffolk. They will put us on the frontline of a nuclear war between the US and Russia. CND calls on the British government to clearly state that the newly upgraded B61-12 nuclear weapons will never be welcome and to refuse to accept their deployment.”

Update: The Pentagon has since claimed the B61 pictured was a training device, despite US Air Forces Europe and LANL initially refusing to comment. They didn’t confirm if the picture was from Volkel.