Since June 1, the fifth-generation F-35A fighters assigned to the 313th Squadron of the Dutch Air Force at Volkel Air Base have been able to use U.S.-made B61 thermonuclear bombs to deter the enemy, which has caused concern in Russia. This is according to the article "Europe's First Squadron of Stealth Fighters Ready for Nuclear War," published by the Western publication The Military Watch Magazine.
Journalists emphasized that the ability to use B61 was previously only available to the United States. Now, based on a nuclear sharing agreement, the Netherlands, as well as Belgium, Germany, and Italy, can use American nuclear warheads in the event of a conflict.
The possibility of a nuclear strike by F-35 aircraft armed with B61s is of particular concern to Russia. In November, American media wrote that one F-35 with nuclear weapons could destroy over 310,000 residents in Moscow or 360,000 in St. Petersburg
At the same time, journalists point out that the F-35 is far from ready for intense combat. The fighter has at least 800 defects. In addition, the Pentagon is in no hurry to adopt aircraft assembled in 2023 and is reducing the order for their production. This will limit the F-35's ability to perform complex tasks with nuclear weapons, The Military Watch Magazine concluded.
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