U.S. nuclear weapons are currently stored at some 26 locations in 15 states and seven foreign countries. This column updates the comprehensive accounting done in 1992 (see "Nuclear Notebook," September 1992 Bulletin) and is adapted from a forthcoming Natural Resources Defense Council report, "Taking Stock: Worldwide Nuclear Deployments, 1997," which will cover Russian, British, French, and Chinese locations as well.

Since 1992 nuclear weapons have been withdrawn from 10 states: Alaska, Arkansas, Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, Maine, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, and South Carolina. They were withdrawn because:

• Several nuclear missions were terminated (anti-submarine warfare, carrier-based land-attack aircraft, nuclear Tomahawks on surface ships);
• Air force bases were closed (K.I. Sawyer, Michigan; Wurtsmith, Michigan; Eaker, Arkansas; Carswell, Texas);
• Weapon systems were retired (army and marine corps nuclear weapons; Minuteman II, B-52G bomber, short-range attack missile, Poseidon);
• Nuclear forces were consolidated (Minuteman III, Tomahawk, bomber forces);
• Nuclear storage facilities at certain bases (Sierra and Seneca Army Depots, Earle and Concord Naval Weapons Stations) were closed.

While the total number of nuclear weapons stationed in Europe has changed since 1992, the number of European countries where weapons are currently stored has not changed. Bombs for U.S. and/or NATO aircraft continue to be deployed in Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Turkey, Belgium, Netherlands, and Greece.

From a recent peak in the 1980s of some 24,000 warheads, the number of U.S. nuclear weapons in all categories (operational, hedge, reserve, and retired warheads awaiting dismantlement) currently stands at 12,500. Of these, some 1,750 warheads are scheduled for disassembly over the next three years. This will leave a stockpile in the 10,500-warhead range for operational forces, the hedge, and reserve (see "Nuclear Notebook," July/August 1997 Bulletin).

The first table lists the number of nuclear weapons present in each state; the table on page 63 lists the location of U.S. nuclear forces by type.

Of the 15 states that host nuclear weapons, New Mexico ranks number one by virtue of the many warheads stored at the Kirtland Underground Munitions Storage Complex (KUMSC), a modern $43 million, 300,000-square-foot facility opened in 1992. Special military aircraft land at the Albuquerque International Airport and load and unload nuclear weapons at the "Hot Cargo Pad." Warheads are taken to the KUMSC and stored in one of 58 storage bays/underground bunkers. The facility has state-of-the-art security.

Special tractor-trailers transport warheads across Interstate 40 to and from the Pantex Plant outside of Amarillo, Texas. As the primary custody transfer point from the Energy Department to the Defense Department for warheads going from Pantex to the field, and from Defense to Energy for warheads going from the field to Pantex, Kirtland occupies (and has occupied since the 1940s) a special place in nuclear logistics.

Georgia and Washington rank second and third. Each has a naval base for Trident ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). Kings Bay has 10 SSBNs, Bangor eight. At any given time approximately half of the warheads at each base are at sea, aboard SSBNs on patrol.

Nevada ranks fourth, with the second major air force storage site at Nellis AFB. Nellis too has been a nuclear storage facility for more than 40 years. Known as Lake Mead Base, it first became operational in September 1954 as one of the original six National Stockpile Sites (NSS). The five other original NSS were: Manzano Base (now Kirtland); Fort Hood, Texas (Killeen Base); Fort Campbell, Tennessee (Clarksville Base); Barksdale AFB, Louisiana (Bossier Base); and Lackland AFB, Texas (Medina Base).

The retirement of approximately 11,000 warheads since the end of the Cold War, including the removal of thousands of nuclear weapons from overseas bases, is the largest shift in deployment patterns since the late 1950s and early 1960s when they were initially fielded. The reductions in Europe are dramatic, with more than 6,000 warheads of almost a dozen types deployed in 1985 and only some 150 B61 tactical bombs today.

B61s withdrawn from Europe have been retained in a reserve/hedge status in the United States (at Kirtland and Nellis) and are not scheduled for retirement.

The locations of nuclear weapons remains an official secret despite the fact that nuclear security requirements and other indicators make their presence obvious.

Warhead/Weapon	User	Total	Location (Weapon)
STRATEGIC FORCES
Bomber Weapons
B61 Mod 7 Bomb	AF	610	200 at Whiteman AFB, MO (B-2); 25 at Barksdale AFB, LA (B-52H); 25 at Minot AFB, ND (B-52H); 175 at Nellis AFB, NV (storage); 85 at Kirtland AFB, NM (storage); 50 at Dyess AFB, TX (B-1B); 50 at Ellsworth AFB, SD (B-1B)
B61 Mod 11 Bomb	AF	50	Whiteman AFB, MO (B-2)
B83 Bomb	AF	600	300 at Whiteman AFB, MO (B-2); 30 at Barksdale AFB, LA (B-52H); 30 at Minot AFB, ND (B-52H); 120 at Dyess AFB, TX (B-1B); 120 at Ellsworth AFB, SD (B-1B)
W80-1/ALCM	AF	1,340	675 at Nellis AFB, NV (storage); 365 at Kirtland AFB, NM (storage); 300 at Barksdale AFB, LA (B-52H)
W80-1/ACM	AF	400	300 at Minot AFB, ND (B-52H); 100 at Barksdale AFB, LA (B-52H)
Submarine-launched ballistic missiles
W76/Trident I C4	N	3,200	1,600 at Bangor, WA; 1,600 at Kings Bay, GA
W88/Trident II D5	N	400	Kings Bay, GA
Intercontinental ballistic missiles
W62/Minuteman III	AF	610	138 warheads in 46 Warren AFB silos, CO; 255 warheads in 85 Warren AFB silos, NE; 57 warheads in19 Warren AFB silos, WY (10 spares); 150 warheads in 50 Malmstrom AFB silos, MT
W78/Minuteman III	AF	915	300 warheads in 100 Malmstrom AFB silos, MT (5 spares); 450 warheads in 150 Minot AFB silos, ND (5 spares); 150 warheads in 50 Grand Forks AFB silos, ND (5 spares)
W87/MX	AF	525	500 warheads in 50 Warren AFB silos, WY (25 spares)
NON-STRATEGIC FORCES
B61 Mods -3, -4, -10	AF, NATO	1,350	600 at Kirtland AFB, NM; 600 at Nellis AFB, NV; 150 in Europe
W80-0/SLCM	N	350	175 at North Island NAS, CA; 175 at Yorktown NWS, VA
RETIRED WARHEADS AWAITING DISMANTLEMENT
W56/Minuteman II	AF	450	Kirtland AFB, NM
W69/SRAM	AF	1,100	950 at Kirtland AFB, NM; 150 at Pantex Plant, TX
W79/8-inch shell	A	200	Pantex Plant, TX
WARHEADS IN RESERVE
W84/GLCM	AF	400	Kirtland AFB, NM
TOTAL		12,500

A: army; ACM: advanced cruise missile; AF: air force; AFB: Air Force Base; ALCM: air-launched cruise missile; GLCM: ground-launched cruise missile; N: navy; NAS: Naval Air Station; NATO: non-U.S. delivery systems; NWS: Naval Weapons Station; SLCM: sea-launched cruise missile; SRAM: short-range attack missile.

In weapons nomenclature B stands for "bomb" and W for "warhead." The number following the letter indicates the order in which it was introduced into the stockpile; for example, W88 followed W87.

Nuclear Notebook is prepared by Robert S. Norris and William M. Arkin of the Natural Resources Defense Council.
Inquiries should be directed to: NRDC, 1200 New York Avenue, N.W., Suite 400, Washington, D.C., 20005; 202-289-6868.