United States-NATO nuclear weapons sharing Netherlands and weapons of mass destruction

usafe commander general roger brady being shown disarming procedure on dummy @ volkel air base.

until 2006, royal netherlands navy p-3 orion aircraft, , predecessors p-2 neptunes, based @ former naval air station valkenburg near leiden , curaçao in caribbean assigned u.s. navy nuclear depth bombs (ndb) use in anti-submarine warfare. these weapons mk 101 lulu, yielded 11 kt; later, replaced mk-57 (also referred b-57).

the ndbs stored under u.s. marine guard @ raf st. mawgan, cornwall, uk, held 60 similar weapons use of raf shackleton , nimrod aircraft. storage arrangements agreed in 1965 between british prime minister harold wilson , president johnson in secret memorandum declassified in uk archives.

at present (2008), usaf still provides 22 tactical b61 nuclear bombs use netherlands under nato nuclear weapons sharing agreement. these weapons stored @ volkel air base and, in time of war, may delivered royal netherlands air force f-16 warplanes. (the dutch government has never formally admitted or denied presence of these weapons, former prime ministers dries van agt , ruud lubbers both acknowledged presence in 2013.)

many countries believe violates articles , ii of npt, netherlands has committed:

... not receive transfer transfer or whatsoever of nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices or of control on such weapons or explosive devices directly, or indirectly ... or otherwise acquire nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices ... .

the u.s. insists forces control weapons , no transfer of nuclear bombs or control on them intended unless , until decision made go war, @ [npt] treaty no longer controlling , there no breach of npt.