Disarmament proponents have called the B61 bomb upgrade “an irresponsible escalation of the new nuclear arms race.”
by Jon Letman, Truthout
In October, the United States Department of Defense announced plans to develop a new version of the B61 nuclear gravity bomb. The new variant, the thirteenth modification of a nuclear weapon first developed in the 1960s, will be called the B61-13. Development is subject to authorization by Congress.
According to a Department of Defense press release, the B61-13 reflects a “changing security environment and growing threats from potential adversaries.” Development of the bomb would not increase the overall number of weapons in the U.S. stockpile, the release said.
The bomb’s predecessor, the B61-12, was announced during the Obama administration and went into production last year. It is being deployed to military bases in five NATO countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey).
The B61-13 will not be deployed in Europe, but instead housed at U.S. bomber bases that will host its delivery systems, the B-2 and yet-to-be-completed B-21 bombers.
Like all U.S. nuclear weapons, the B61-13 will be assembled near Amarillo, Texas, at the Pantex Plant, which describes itself as “the nation’s primary assembly, disassembly, retrofit, and life-extension center for nuclear weapons.” Life-extension programs are designed to upgrade and prolong the service life of nuclear weapons, keeping them in the arsenal for additional decades.
Recent Posts
Challenges For Peace In Trump Times
Take Action Now Extreme militarization is being normalized in the U.S. government and culture, with funding being moved further still from human…
Is A “Plan 2028” The Solution That Labor And The Left Need?
Take Action Now UAW called for unions to synchronize contract expirations on May 1, 2028. How can we harness this compression point to coordinate our…
Trump Is Planning To Sabotage Social Security
Take Action Now A new memo details Trump plan to sabotage the Social Security Administration.By Judd Legum, Popular Information An internal Social…
By Retreating In The Funding Fight, Democrats Have Abandoned Their Most Loyal Constituents: D.C. Voters
Take Action Now In capitulating on the GOP funding bill, Democrats have hung their most core constituents out to dry.By Sam Rosenthal On Friday,…