Britain’s Nuclear Shield Returns to the Skies on F-35 Wings

The British government has announced that the United Kingdom will reinstate its airborne nuclear deterrent capability under NATO‘s framework.

Until now, Britain’s nuclear deterrence had been limited to submarines, but the country now plans to acquire 12 F-35 fighter jets capable of launching nuclear-armed missiles.

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According to a Downing Street statement, Prime Minister Keir Starmer will announce the decision during Wednesday’s NATO summit in The Hague, calling it “the biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation,” allowing the country to increase its role in NATO’s deterrence mission.

The statement quoted Starmer as saying: “These dual-capable F-35 fighter jets will launch a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force and will deter hostile threats against the United Kingdom and our allies.”

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NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also welcomed the announcement, describing it as “a strong new British contribution to NATO.”

Since the end of the Cold War, Britain’s nuclear deterrent under NATO had relied exclusively on Royal Navy submarines capable of launching nuclear missiles.

Eloïse Fayet, a nuclear expert at the French Institute of International Relations, told AFP that at the time, “real interest in tactical nuclear weapons in Europe had faded, because the threat had vanished.”

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She added that Tuesday’s announcement reflects “a continued nuclear rearmament in Europe, a renewed need for nuclear weapons, and the reinforcement of NATO’s deterrence in the face of an adversary like Russia,” which has been waging war against Ukraine for three years.

The F-35A jets, manufactured by U.S.-based Lockheed Martin, are a variant of the F-35B aircraft already in use by the UK, but with the added ability to carry nuclear warheads in addition to conventional weapons.

The Royal Air Force has long sought to acquire this type of aircraft.
They are expected to be based at RAF Marham in eastern England.

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