Weapon storage areas (WSA), also known asspecial ammunition storage (SAS), were extremely well guarded and well defended locations whereNATOnuclear weapons were stored during theCold War era.[1]
In most situations, the WSA or SAS areas were located inside the perimeter of an army barracks or an air base in NATO territory, but in a few cases they were located deep inside wooded areas and miles away from amilitary base.
Due to changes in the political landscape, the number of special weapons inEurope has been drastically decreased. Moreover, the introduction of theWS3 Weapon Storage and Security System has made WSAs obsolete.
At present, few WSAs are still operational as modern day special weapons are stored in the floors of concrete aircraft shelters and placed under 24/7 electronic surveillance.