Air Force removes nukes from Ramstein - Air Force News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Air Force Times

Air Force removes nukes from Ramstein

The Air Force has removed nuclear bombs from Ramstein Air Base in Germany, according to the Federation of American Scientists, a group that tracks nuclear military issues.

In a statement issued Monday, the federation cited publicly available documents U.S. Air Forces in Europe Air Force Instruction #91-125. The documents maps out inspection requirements for nuclear weapons sites in Europe.

Missing from the updated instruction was any mention of Ramstein, the Air Force’s largest base Germany and USAFE’s primary aerial hub, the federation noted. Past versions of the document included Ramstein.

The federation said that in 2005, the German magazine Der Spiegel reported that unnamed German defense officials claimed nuclear bombs had been removed from Ramstein while the base’s runway and flight line were expanded.

USAFE bases that continue to house nuclear arms are RAF Lakenheath; Incirlik Air Base, Turkey; and Aviano Air Base, Italy, the federation believes.