NATO planners put the F-35 front and center in European nuclear deterrence
14 Apr 2022 Sebastian Sprenger
"WASHINGTON — Following Germany’s decision to buy a fleet of F-35s, NATO planners have begun updating the alliance’s nuclear sharing mechanics to account for the jet’s next-gen capabilities, a key NATO official said this week.
“We’re moving fast and furiously towards F-35 modernization and incorporating those into our planning and into our exercising and things like that as those capabilities come online,” said Jessica Cox, director of the NATO nuclear policy directorate in Brussels....
...The United States military stores around 150 B-61 gravity bombs in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and Turkey for that mission, according to a recent accounting in an article by the British-based Chatham House think tank.
But the F-16 and Tornado aircraft set aside for the job by a “core” group of European allies — as Cox called them, presumably excluding Turkey — are aging, prompting a recent wave of upgrade decisions that all came down in favor of the Lockheed Martin-made F-35....
...Cox said the aircraft’s advanced features also will boost the capabilities of alliance members and F-35 customers like Poland, Denmark or Norway who might be tasked with supporting actual nuclear sharing missions. For example, the F-35 is thought to be better at penetrating air- and missile-defense networks, requiring fewer accompanying fighters, she said.
“And we will also have some operational advantages with the F-35 since there will be opportunities for enhanced networking and integration across the force,” she added."
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