UK Plans to Acquire Nuclear-Ready F-35 Jets

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    The United Kingdom has revealed plans to acquire 12 F-35A fighter jets from the United States, which are equipped to carry nuclear weapons, as part of a significant enhancement of its nuclear capabilities. This initiative marks the U.K.’s entry into NATO’s collective airborne nuclear mission, as announced by Prime Minister Keir Starmer during a NATO summit in the Netherlands.

    The British government has described this acquisition as “the biggest strengthening of the U.K.’s nuclear posture in a generation,” highlighting its commitment to bolstering national defense. NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised this development, stating that it represents “yet another robust British contribution to NATO.”

    This move is notable as the U.K. had ceased its air-dropped nuclear weapons programs in the 1990s following the conclusion of the Cold War. Currently, the U.K.’s nuclear arsenal is based solely on submarine-launched missiles. Within NATO, only the United States, the United Kingdom, and France are recognized nuclear powers, while seven other member nations contribute aircraft for NATO’s nuclear missions, capable of carrying both conventional weapons and American B61 nuclear bombs stored in Europe.

    The deployment of nuclear weapons under this mission requires authorization from NATO’s nuclear planning group as well as approval from both the U.S. president and the British prime minister. However, questions have been raised regarding the potential deployment of American nuclear weapons on British soil. According to Marion Messmer of the Chatham House think tank, the British government has yet to confirm if such deployments would take place. Messmer noted, “The U.K. doesn’t have any nuclear weapons itself that could be deployed via this aircraft. Other states in NATO that participate in this mission also host U.S. nuclear weapons on their territory – these weapons remain entirely under U.S. control.”

    In addition, Prime Minister Starmer declared that the U.K. would deliver 350 air defense missiles to Ukraine. This contribution is financed by £70 million ($95 million) obtained from interest on Russian assets that have been seized.

    These announcements are part of a broader push by the U.K. and other NATO members to enhance their security investments, with a goal to increase spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035. This budget includes 3.5% for defense and another 1.5% dedicated to wider security and resilience measures. Presently, the U.K. allocates 2.3% of its national income to defense, with plans to escalate this to 2.6% by 2027.