The UK has announced it will buy at least 12 F-35 stealth jets that can carry nuclear warheads in a bid to strengthen its nuclear capabilities following threats of a global nuclear war.
British PM, Sir Keir Starmer is expected to inform a summit of NATO allies in The Hague that the new squadron will join an alliance nuclear deterrence mission that can be armed with a US nuclear weapon.
Global Conflict
The move comes as the British prime minister and his European and Canadian counterparts seek to convince Donald Trump that they are serious about bolstering their ability to defend Europe, rather than overly relying on the US, following Trump’s wish to withdraw from defending other NATO nations.
Announcing the aircraft purchase, Sir Keir Starmer said “In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted.
“These F-35 dual capable aircraft will herald a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force and deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our allies.
“The UK’s commitment to NATO is unquestionable, as is the alliance’s contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure, but we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come.” He concluded.
Mark Rutte, the head of NATO, applauded the plan – saying: “The UK has declared its nuclear deterrent to NATO for many decades, and I strongly welcome today’s announcement that the UK will now also join NATO’s nuclear mission and procure the F-35A.
“This is yet another robust British contribution to NATO.” He said.
UK’s Military Aircraft
The UK’s RAF and the Royal Navy already operate F-35B jets that can fly off Britain’s two aircraft carriers, but they are not equipped to drop nuclear warheads.
The new planes will be the F-35A variant, operated by the air force, that take off from land but can fly further and be armed with nuclear or conventional weapons and they would all be based together at RAF Marham in Norfolk.
The government has long planned to purchase a total of 138 F-35 aircraft, but has so far only acquired around three dozen – seven years since the first jets entered service.
The government described the plan to purchase nuclear-capable aircraft as the “biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation”.
The F-35 aircraft is made by the US defence giant Lockheed Martin, but the British defence company BAE Systems is also a key contributor to the order that will support 20,000 jobs in the F-35 programme in the UK.
