Kleine Brogel Air Base

Kleine Brogel Air Base (ICAO: EBBL) is a Belgian Air Component military airfield located 0.8 nautical miles (1.5 km; 0.92 mi) east[1] of Kleine-Brogel, in the municipality Peer, Belgium. It is home to the Belgian 10th Tactical Wing, operating F-16 Fighting Falcons, which are capable, among other capabilities, of delivering B61 nuclear bombs.

Kleine Brogel Air Base
Vliegbasis Kleine Brogel
Near Peer, Limburg, Flemish Region in Belgium
Motto Fortuna favet fortibus
(Latin for 'Fortune favors the bold')
Kleine Brogel
Location in Belgium
Coordinates51°10′06″N 005°28′12″E
TypeMilitary airfield
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorBelgian Air Component
ConditionOperational
WebsiteOfficial website
Site history
Built1944 (1944) (as tactical airfield B90)
In use1944 – present
Garrison information
Garrison10th Tactical Wing
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: EBBL
Elevation58.5 metres (192 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
05L/23R 3,095 metres (10,154 ft) Asphalt/Concrete
05R/23L 2,400 metres (7,874 ft) Asphalt/Concrete
Source: Aeronautical Information Publication – Belgium & Luxembourg[1]

History

The base has been subject to much political controversy, because of American nuclear weapons allegedly being stored in the facility by the United States Air Force (USAF), but never recognized officially by the Belgian government.[2] Under the NATO nuclear sharing arrangement, these nuclear bombs would require an actual dual key system, which would imply the simultaneous authorizations of Belgium and the United States, before any action is taken. Should that be the case, Kleine Brogel Air Base would be the only location in Belgium with nuclear weapons.[3][4] According to the press, Eastern European Member States of NATO resisted the withdrawal of the shared nuclear bombs in Europe, fearing that it would show a weakening of the American commitment to defend the European Union against Russian aggression.[5]

None of the five NATO member states, whose air forces allegedly might share in its premises nuclear bombs with the USAF (these are Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey),[5] have ever provided an official confirmation of its existence. However, former Italian President Francesco Cossiga declared that the Aeronautica Militare hosted or shared American nuclear bombs, just as other NATO member states do. In an interview he talked about French weapons.[6][7] In the same way, on 10 June 2013, former Dutch prime minister Ruud Lubbers confirmed the existence of 22 shared nuclear bombs at Volkel Air Base.[8]

Kleine Brogel Air Base is also the home of the United States Air Force's 701st Munitions Support Squadron which allegedly is the unit in charge of looking after the shared nuclear bombs.[9][10]

AFN Benelux broadcast from Kleine Brogel Air Base in the 106.2 MHz in FM.[11]

Based units

Units based at Keine Brogel.[12][13]

Belgian Air Component

10th Tactical Wing

United States Air Force

US Air Forces in Europe - Air Forces Africa (USAFE-AFAFRICA)

See also
  • Transportation in Belgium

References
  1. AIP for EBBL – Kleine Brogel Air Base from Skeyes
  2. "Dossier: Kleine Brogel".
  3. Malcolm Chalmers and Simon Lunn (March 2010), NATO’s Tactical Nuclear Dilemma, Royal United Services Institute, retrieved 2010-03-16.
  4. Der Spiegel: Foreign Minister Wants US Nukes out of Germany (2009-04-10)
  5. Borger, Julian (21 April 2013). "Obama accused of nuclear U-turn as guided weapons plan emerges". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 June 2013.
  8. "US nuclear bombs 'based in Netherlands' - ex-Dutch PM Lubbers". BBC. 10 June 2013. Retrieved 10 June 2013.
  12. "Organisation". Kleine-Brogel Air Base. Belgian Air Component. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
  13. "52nd Munitions Maintenance Group". Spangdahlem Air Base. US Air Force. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 20 December 2020.
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