"Berlin and the bomb" Topic

"As Germany is mulling its choice of NATO nuclear-tasked combat aircraft to replace the Tornado, Douglas Barrie and Bastian Giegerich examine whether wider capability options should also figure in the considerations.

Germany is pondering the next aircraft it will use to deliver its commitment to NATO in the dual-capable role: the ability to deliver a free-fall nuclear bomb as part of the Alliance's approach to deterrence. This is currently performed in Germany by a fleet of ageing Tornado aircraft. But perhaps Berlin is asking the wrong question. Should Germany, and NATO more widely, instead be considering whether a free-fall weapon remains a credible element of deterrence for the current and future military environment?

This question is of course irrelevant if NATO's dual-capable aircraft (DCA) are symbolic only, intended to ensure United States nuclear weapons remain on European soil, thereby anchoring Washington's guarantee of extended deterrence. However, if they are meant to be an actual military capability, then this element of NATO's deterrent needs to be credible not only in the eyes of the Alliance, but also those of Moscow. Russia, like the Soviet Union, sustains a large arsenal of sub-strategic warheads. Alongside free-fall nuclear bombs, Russia's inventory includes tactical ballistic missiles, as well as air-, sea- and ground-launched cruise missiles, which can be fitted with either conventional or nuclear warheads. The role of sub-strategic weapons in Russian nuclear doctrine is unclear but certainly a concern for NATO. Moscow's deployment of the dual-capable 9M729 (SSC-8 Screwdriver) ground-launched cruise missile resulted in the collapse of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty in August 2019, which had prohibited the US and Soviet Union (and its successor state, Russia) from possessing ground-launched ballistic-missile and cruise-missile systems with a range of between 500 and 5,500 kilometres…"
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