Munition Support Squadrons (MUNSS) are geographically separated units which are located over Europe. They are co-located on several main operating NATO bases and they are working together with their host nation wing. Their common strength varies between 125 – 150 servicemembers.
Their mission: receiving, storing, maintenance and maintaining custody and control of NATO assigned specialUSAFE munitions until further notice. When directed the MUNSS will provide the special munitions to the NATO strike wing commander. Therefore, the MUNSS mission is one of the most critical within theirtheater of operations.
All details regarding nuclear deployments within NATO remain secret. The only officially acknowledged information is that thestandoff (air-dropped) weapons concerned are currently B-61 types which are managed through theWeapons Storage and Security System (WS3). WS3 has been constructed in the 1980s and comprised construction of secured vaults – each capable to contain 4 weapons – in the floors of the aircraft shelters. The co-storage of the special weapons together with their strike aircraft greatly enhanced their survivability and operational readiness. In 1986 the Pentagon released a list of airbases in Europe and in the Far East which have been WS3 equipped.
After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the Warsaw Pact the number of NATO airbases and the number of operational WS3 has considerably been reduced. In 2017Hans M. Kristensen, the director of the Nuclear Information Project with theFederation of American Scientists (FAS) in Washington declared that the numbers of NATO assigned US nuclear weapons in Europe have not been changed since 2009 so it is supposed that they are currently still operational inTurkey,Italy,Germany,Belgium and in theNetherlands.
In 2021, the Pentagon briefly posted a picture of theunit insignia of the 701st Munitions Support Squadron atKleine Brogel Air Base, Belgium which depicted US and Belgian flags above an eagle clutching a B-61 weapon. The photo, dated from March 2021, was removed soon after it drew media attention.[1]
Italy, under USAF31st Fighter Wing (F-16)
Turkey, under USAF39th Air Base Wing
United Kingdom, under USAF48th Fighter Wing (F-15)[2]
Germany, commanding 4 dislocated squadrons (MUNSS)
Belgium, supporting Belgian10 Tactische Wing (F-16) Germany, supporting GermanTaktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 33 (Tornado IDS)
Netherlands, supporting NetherlandsAir Combat Command[3] (F-35) Italy, supporting Italian6º Stormo (Tornado IDS) Germany, for maintenance on weapons storage and security systems within the EUCOM AOR, scheduled maintenance at European inactive sites, WS3 unscheduled and STMS periodic maintenance at USAFE active sites. Germany, under86th Airlift Wing
Japan, under USAF18th Fighter Wing (F-15) Germany (1993-1996) Germany (1963-1993) Turkey (1966-1993) Turkey (1962-1990) Turkey (1965-1994) Turkey (1963-1990) Italy (1961-1993) Germany (1962-1993)