🇩🇪 Germany Nuclear Warheads Hosted
Overview in 2025
Büchel Air Base, located in the Eifel region of Rhineland-Palatinate, is Germany’s sole nuclear-sharing site and the only base in the country currently housing U.S. B61 bombs under NATO’s dual-key framework. Hosted by the German Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 (Tornado aircraft) and the U.S. 702nd Munitions Support Squadron, this installation ensures that any nuclear release requires both U.S. and German authorization.
Warhead Inventory & Storage Capacity
Estimates consistently place the number of B61 bombs at Büchel between 15 and 20, though German government policy refrains from formally acknowledging the specifics. Some reports narrow this to around 20 warheads, while other sources suggest the number falls between 10 and 15 . These weapons are housed in 11 WS3 vaults embedded within protective aircraft shelters, each vault capable of storing up to four bombs—allowing a maximum capacity of 44, though the actual stock remains significantly lower.
Security Posture & Upgrades
Security at Büchel is robust and continually reinforced. The base has installed new double-fenced perimeters, cutting-edge alarm and communications infrastructure, climate-controlled vaults, and has strengthened the runway to support nuclear-capable aircraft and transport operations—such as for C-17s. Since 2019, further enhancements include perimeter fencing, advanced sensors, and security checkpoints—all part of a wider modernization plan tied to the future arrival of nuclear-capable F-35A.
Delivery Aircraft & Forces
The base’s host unit, TaktLwG 33, operates German Panavia Tornado IDS jets tested and trained for nuclear delivery. These aircraft are scheduled for replacement: Germany plans to retire Tornados by 2025 and introduce 35 U.S.-built F-35A fighters, certified for the forthcoming B61-12 nuclear bombs. Until the F-35 are operational, German Tornados remain the only nuclear-capable aircraft in the Luftwaffe.
Domestic Debate & Strategic Outlook
Nuclear weapons in Germany spark continuous public and political debate. Surveys indicate public opposition remains strong: as of early 2025, only about 14% of Germans support hosting nukes . In contrast, heightened regional security concerns (e.g. Ukraine war) have prompted cautious reassessments by political leaders. Germany is also exploring discussions about alternative "European nuclear sharing", including a possible Franco-British involvement, but the U.S. stockpile at BĂĽchel remains the core.