US deploys gravity nuclear bombs in a series of European countries

The new bomb, the B61-12, has been fully deployed under NATO's nuclear sharing program, with previous versions deployed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Russia estimates that at least 150 of these bombs are now present across Europe, lowering the threshold for using nuclear weapons.

“The new B61-12 gravity bomb is fully deployed, and we have enhanced NATO’s ability to counter US nuclear capabilities through regular visits and exchanges,” Ms. Hruby said at the Hudson Institute.

The US also plans to deploy these nuclear weapons in the UK. Multiple reports say a new Pentagon facility at RAF Lakenheath, Suffolk, is being built to store the B61-12 bomb.

“Our strategic partnership with the UK is strong, as is their commitment to nuclear deterrence. We have also developed shared thinking around critical supply chain resilience,” Hruby added, without providing specifics.

The Pentagon announced a revision to its nuclear deterrence strategy last November. Key elements include increasing the readiness of the Ohio-class nuclear-armed submarine and developing the B61-13 gravity bomb, which is intended to give the US additional options against larger, hardened military targets. The NNSA confirmed that it has moved into production of the new version.

The Kremlin has frequently criticized the US military buildup, warning that the global deployment of nuclear-capable bombs and missiles could lead to a proportionate response.

In September 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered changes to the country's nuclear doctrine, stipulating that any aggression against the Russian Federation and/or its allies by a non-nuclear state, but with the participation or support of a nuclear state, will be considered a coordinated attack.

The change was approved in November of the same year, after the United States and several Western countries allowed Ukraine to use foreign-made long-range weapons to strike deep into Russian territory, despite warnings from Moscow that this would escalate the conflict and lead to direct NATO involvement.

Russia has also conducted a combat test of its new Oreshnik medium-range hypersonic missile, targeting a military plant in Ukraine, in response to Kiev's cross-border attacks using the US-supplied HIMARS and ATACMS long-range strike missile systems, along with the British and French Storm Shadow/SCALP missiles.

Last month, Russia and Belarus finalized a security pact, cementing plans to deploy the Oreshnik missile system in Belarus by 2025.

Moscow insists the missiles cannot be intercepted by current Western defense systems, and are capable of hitting targets across Europe within minutes.