🇹🇷 Turkey Nuclear Warheads Hosted

Incirlik Air Base, located near Adana, Turkey, is a key site in NATO’s nuclear-sharing framework. Though Turkish F-16 are not certified for nuclear delivery, the base functions primarily as a storage and security depot for U.S.-owned B61 tactical nuclear bombs.

Weapon Type & Quantities

• Around 50 B61 gravity bombs are stored at Incirlik. This figure is consistent across U.S. Air Force, FAS, and independent analysts, comprising roughly one-third of the ~150 B61 bombs deployed across Europe.
• The base includes approximately 21 hardened shelters equipped with WS3 vaults. With a capacity of up to 84 bombs, typically storing 2 bombs per vault, Incirlik regularly holds ~50 weapons.

Security & Governance Framework

• Storage and security are managed by the U.S. 39th Weapons Systems Security Group, working alongside Turkish Air Force personnel under stringent dual-key protocols and Permissive Action Links (PALs) to prevent unauthorized use.
• Following heightened regional tensions, the base’s nuclear vault area has received fortified fences, upgraded alert systems, and strict access control. Every nuclear convoy and vault entry operates under rigorous U.S.–Turkish coordination.

Historical Context & Operational Status

• Cold War Legacy: Stockpiled since the late 1950s, Incirlik once held as many as 90 B61 bombs. Through arms reduction efforts in the 2000s, that number was reduced to the current ~50.
• Crisis Vulnerabilities: The strategic stability of Incirlik has occasionally been tested. During the 2016 coup attempt in Turkey, power outages triggered concerns over nuclear security, prompting U.S. precautionary measures including an "ordered departure" of families and heightened defenses.

Outlook

• U.S.–Turkey disagreements—over Syria, F-35 sales, and divergent security policies—have periodically rekindled debate over the prudence of nuclear storage at Incirlik.
• While the base stores existing B61 Mods (3/4/7), NATO is gradually transitioning to the guided B61-12 variant, with F-35s now certified to deliver it. However, Turkey itself is excluded from operational delivery under the current plan.