New from Bellingcat - US military personnel responsible for US nuclear weapons in European military bases are inadvertently sharing details about their security protocols and weapons storage online via flashcard apps. bellingcat.com/news/2021/05/2…
Dr Jeffrey Lewis (@ArmsControlWonk),Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, said that the findings showed a “flagrant breach” in security practices related to US nuclear weapons stationed in NATO countries.
Some flashcards uncovered during the course of this investigation had been publicly visible online as far back as 2013. Other sets detailed processes that were being learned by users until at least April 2021.
Flashcard sharing apps contain details of nuclear weapon storage at airbases where nuclear weapons are stored, including Volkel airbase in the Netherlands.
Flashcards detailed the number of security cameras & their positions at various bases, information on sensors, unique identifiers of restricted area badges (RAB) for Incirlik, Volkel & Aviano as well as secret duress words & the equipment carried by response forces at the bases.
Two flashcards from the same set contain the squadron name “701 MUNSS”, and a phrase to make someone surrender weapons in Flemish, revealing that the security details in it apply to Kleine Brogel air base, Belgium.
Other, more subtle, details also allowed for verification. For example, the flashcard that mentioned vault 27 at Tango loop, Aviano air base, matches a public US military document that confirms there is a Protected Aircraft Shelter at Aviano air base labelled “t-27”.
One of the most interesting cards in the anonymous sets was the “vault status” flashcard that appears to note which shelters at Volkel contain nuclear weapons.
During our investigation we also discovered this photograph posted on Facebook and geolocated by us to Volkel airbase showing the US 703rd Munitions Support Squadron taking a group photograph with what we believe is a dummy nuclear weapon outside one of the storage shelters (532)
When asked about the photo the US Military did not directly respond, while the Dutch MoD said it was an inert training version. Yet it added that according to the regulations in force at military bases, “this photo should not have been taken, let alone published.”
More details on the investigation and responses from various parties can be found here bellingcat.com/news/2021/05/2…
And huge credit to @FoekePostma for his work on this piece
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.