Not confirmed if the US aircraft carrier carries nukes

USS Harry S. TrumanUS aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman.Photo: Johan Falnes / NTB scanpix

It is not confirmed that the US aircraft carrier is devoid of nuclear weapons

The United States will not answer if there are nuclear weapons on board the USS Harry S. Truman aircraft carrier, which is in Norwegian waters. The Norwegian Department of Defence has not asked either.

 

The nuclear-powered aircraft carrier with 5,400 soldiers on board will participate in the NATO Trident Juncture exercise.

The question from the class is if the ship has nuclear weapons on board, the commander and news officer Ryan de Vera of the Pentagon respond that US authorities “do not have the policy of equipping US Navy’s surface ships, assault ships or aircraft with nuclear weapons.”

“However, we do not discuss the presence or absence of nuclear weapons,” he writes.

That the United States neither wants to confirm or deny this, leads, among others, SV’s Lars Haltbrekken to react.

“The Minister of defence, must go out and assure the Norwegian people that there is no nuclear weapon on board, and this is something he should do immediately,” he tells the newspaper Klassekampen. He is supported by Red, Say No to Atomic Weapons and Changemaker in this.

When the Ministry of Defense is asked about the matter, press officer Lars Gjemble answers by referring to the 1962 parliamentary report. It states that nuclear weapons shall not be stored or stationed on Norwegian territory in peacetime.

“Norway assumes that Allied countries as well as other nuclear powers, whose naval vessels call on Norwegian territory, are familiar with and respect this policy and do not bring nuclear weapons,” he states.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today