Weapon storage area
Encyclopedia
Nuclear weapon
A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from nuclear reactions, either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. Both reactions release vast quantities of energy from relatively small amounts of matter. The first fission bomb test released the same amount...
s were stored during the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
era.
In most situations the WSA or SAS was located inside the perimeter of an army barracks or an airbase throughout NATO territory, but in some cases their location was hidden deep inside the woods and miles away from the nearest military base
Military base
A military base is a facility directly owned and operated by or for the military or one of its branches that shelters military equipment and personnel, and facilitates training and operations. In general, a military base provides accommodations for one or more units, but it may also be used as a...
.
Because of the current political situation at present day the number of special weapons in Europe
Europe
Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...
has drastically been decreased. Also, the introduction of the WS3 Weapon Storage and Security System made the WSA obsolete.
Currently few WSAs are still operational as the special weapons of today have been stored in the floors of concrete aircraft shelters and are under 24/7 electronic surveillance.