US soldiers stationed on European bases that host nuclear weapons have exposed a multitude of sensitive security details -- including where weapons are stored & secret duress words -- by using flashcard learning apps that appear publicly in online searches bellingcat.com/news/2021/05/2…
While the presence of US nuclear weapons in Europe has long been detailed by various leaked documents, photos and statements by retired officials, their specific locations are officially still a secret with governments neither confirming nor denying their presence.
As many campaigners see it, this ambiguity has often hampered open and democratic debate about the rights and wrongs of hosting nuclear weapons in some European nations.
Bellingcat's @FoekePostma was able to find flashcards posted by soldiers at all 6 bases in Europe that are reported to store nuclear weapons. The position of cameras, which vaults contain weapons and the type of equipment used response forces were just some of the details exposed
@FoekePostma This information was discovered by simply searching Google for key terms relating to nuclear weapons and relevant bases in Europe. Some flashcards appear to have been online and publicly visible for as long as eight years.
@FoekePostma Experts approached by Bellingcat said that these findings represented serious breaches of security protocols and raised renewed questions about US nuclear weapons deployment in Europe. 
@FoekePostma Disarmament activists said that continued secrecy about the weapons risked the security of populations in Europe.
@FoekePostma Some US soldiers even posted images from on base. This picture was uploaded to Facebook in 2013 and appears to show US service members at Volkel Air Base in the Netherlands.
@FoekePostma When approached for comment the Dutch MoD said the device pictured was inert, although they added that the picture “should not have been taken, let alone published.”
@FoekePostma A spokesperson for the US Air Force said they were aware flashcard apps were used by soldiers and were investigating the suitability of information published on these platforms.
@FoekePostma They added that they would not discuss past or current security protocols.
@FoekePostma Bellingcat sent a non-exhaustive list of 50 flashcards it had found when approaching the US Military for comment in the weeks before publishing this article. All examples appeared to have been taken down before publication
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
