US Likely to Keep Nukes in Turkey Despite Coup Attempt

The U.S. will probably keep its nuclear weapons stored at the Incirlik Air Base in Turkey despite the recent coup attempt on Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

Incirlik Air Base is the largest U.S. nuclear weapons storage site in Europe with 25 underground vaults, each of which can hold up to four bombs for a maximum total base capacity of 100 bombs, according to the Federation of American Scientists, a nonprofit based in Washington, D.C., which opposes the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

There are an estimated 50 B61 thermonuclear bombs stored there, amounting to a quarter of the U.S. stockpile of the weapon, which can be carried by F-16s and other aircraft.

The organization has said the U.S. is working on upgrading its nuclear weapon storage facilities  with new fencing, lighting and sensors at Incirlik and Aviano Air Base in Italy.

Let's block ads! (Why?)

from DefenseNewz.com http://ift.tt/29QnUwX
via Defense News