Weapons Storage and Security System: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:36, 10 October 2010

Revision as of 19:22, 11 October 2010

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[[Image:703MUNSS061108.jpg|thumb|right|General [[Roger A. Brady|Roger Brady]] being shown a dummy nuclear weapon in a WeaponWeapons Storage and Security System at [[Volkel Air Base]]]]

'''Weapons Storage and Security System (WS3)''' is a system including electronic controls and vaults built into the floors of [[Hardened Aircraft Shelter|Protective Aircraft Shelters]] (PAS) on several [[United States]] and [[NATO]] [[military airfield]]s all over the world. These vaults are used for safe special weapons storage, typically of tactical [[B61 nuclear bomb]]s. Historically the system was in NATO also called the '''Weapon Security and Survivability System (WS3)'''<ref name=Nuclear-Matters>{{citation|url=http://www.acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/nm/nmbook/appendices/ap_C.htm|title=Nuclear Matters: A Practical Guide - Appendix C|author=Office of the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense for Nuclear Matters|date=2008 edition|publisher=Department of Defense|accessdate=2009-05-23}}</ref><ref name=chronology>{{citation|url=http://www.acq.osd.mil/ncbdp/nm/nuclearchronology5.html|title=Nuclear Chronology|author=Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of Defense, Nuclear Matters|publisher=Department of Defense|accessdate=2008-06-11}}</ref> or '''Weapons Survivability and Security System'''.<ref>{{citation|url=http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/written_answers/1988/jun/07/weapons-storage-and-security|title=Weapons Storage and Security|publisher=Hansard|date=7 June 1988|id=HC Deb vol 134 c547W|accessdate=2009-08-07}}</ref>

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Deployment of the WS3 system was authorized in 1988,<ref name=chronology /> and they were in widespread use by 1995.

215 WS3 vaults were built for the [[U.S.United States Air ForceForces in Europe]] at 13 sites in seven countries. Additionally 34 WS3 vaults were built for the [[Royal Air Force]] to store the [[WE.177]] nuclear bomb; 10 at [[RAF Brüggen]] in Germany and 24 at [[RAF Marham]] in Britain.<ref>{{citation|url=http://thebulletin.metapress.com/content/82558p4j65585158/fulltext.pdf|title=U.S. nuclear weapons in Europe, 1954–2004|author=Robert S. Norris and [[Hans M. Kristensen]]|date=November/December 2004|publisher=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists|accessdate=2009-06-11}}</ref>

==Sources==