U.S. set to upgrade controversial nukes stationed in Germany

For now, however, despite a clear majority of its citizens firmly opposed to nuclear weapons, Germany seems unlikely to withdraw from the deal any time soon. Rather, it is set to receive modernized bombs. The nukes stored in Büchel, Kristensen explained, are of a type — the B-61-3 or B-61-4 — that was introduced in the late 1980s and early 1990s and they coming to the end of their cycle.

B61-12 is “the most expensive gravity bomb that the US has ever built”

The modernization program, which will see the old bombs being dismantled and new ones delivered to American military sites in the US and across the world, is extremely expensive. “It’s the most expensive gravity bomb that the US has ever built,” according to Kristensen. “Some people have calculated that it would be cheaper to build the bomb in solid gold.”

The new bomb — the B-61-12 — will have “significantly enhanced capabilities,” says Kristensen: It is equipped with a tail kit, which enables it to be delivered and hit its target much more accurately. Kristensen has modeled its accuracy at about 30 to 60 meters (98 to 196 feet). The current bombs are simply dropped from the plane, rather than like ones with tail kits, which guide themselves once released. 

Are new bombs more likely to be deployed?

Many experts worry that may make the bomb more attractive to deploy — as, rather than wiping out an entire region, it could be used to strike a precise target. Kristensen agrees that militarily that may be the case, but cautions that it would still be politically difficult to breach the nuclear taboo that has been in place since 1945.