The Kirtland Underground Munitions Maintenance and Storage Complex (KUMMSC) is a United States Air Force facility located on Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico. It is the largest storage facility for nuclear weapons in the world, responsible for the storage, shipping, and maintenance of a significant portion of the U.S. nuclear arsenal. The complex, which opened in 1992, is situated on a 54-acre site and represents a critical component of America's strategic nuclear deterrent infrastructure.
Constructed during the post-Cold War era, KUMMSC consolidates and secures nuclear weapons in a hardened underground environment. Its design emphasizes extreme security, safety, and survivability, featuring robust containment structures and advanced security systems to protect the weapons from unauthorized access and external threats. The facility's existence was long part of broader, often classified, discussions about American Deep Underground Military Bases (DUMBS).
Today, KUMMSC remains an active and vital installation for the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command. While its exact internal layout and current capacity are not publicly detailed, its role in the lifecycle management of nuclear weapons—from maintenance to eventual dismantlement—is well-documented. The site is not open to the public and is under constant, stringent security, embodying the enduring, though less visible, legacy of nuclear arms storage in the modern era.