UK to reintroduce nuclear weapon-capable aircraft under NATO

Britain volition acquisition 12 atomic weapon-capable F-35A fighters, expanding the country's deterrence arsenal, which is presently constricted to submarine-launched missiles. Photo: JOHN THYS / AFP
Source: AFP

Britain volition reintroduce combatant jets susceptible of carrying atomic weapons to enactment NATO's atomic mission, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's bureau said, arsenic helium prepares for a Nato acme Wednesday.

The state volition acquisition 12 atomic weapon-capable F-35A fighters, expanding the country's deterrence arsenal, which is presently constricted to submarine-launched missiles.

"These F35 dual susceptible craft volition herald a caller epoch for our world-leading Royal Air Force and deter hostile threats that endanger the UK and our Allies," Starmer said successful a connection connected Tuesday.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte was quoted successful the connection arsenic saying: "I powerfully invited today's announcement," calling it "yet different robust British publication to NATO".

Downing Street described it arsenic the "biggest strengthening of the UK's atomic posture successful a generation", adding that Starmer would denote the program astatine acme connected Wednesday.

Since the extremity of the Cold War, British atomic deterrence wrong the Atlantic confederation was provided solely by missiles aboard Royal Navy submarines.

Heloise Fayet, a atomic specializer astatine the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), told AFP the announcement illustrates "the continued re-nuclearization of Europe, the renewed request for atomic weapons, and the strengthening of NATO's deterrence, successful the look of an adversary, Russia".

The F-35A, manufactured by US institution Lockheed Martin, is simply a variant of the F-35B already utilized by the United Kingdom, but which can transportation atomic warheads successful summation to accepted weapons.

The acquisition has been a long-standing petition from the Royal Air Force.

The planes are expected to beryllium stationed astatine Marham Air Force Base successful eastbound England.

'New risks'

Leaders from NATO countries are gathering successful The Hague this week wherever they are expected to pledge that they volition walk 5 percent of GDP connected defence by 2035, nether unit from US President Donald Trump.

The UK had already committed connected Monday that it would conscionable the spending target.

London said successful February that it would hike its defence fund to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027 and 3 percent aft 2029.

British Defence Secretary John Healey warned connected Tuesday that the UK faced "new atomic risks, with different states increasing, modernising and diversifying their atomic arsenals".

Seven NATO members, including the US, Germany and Italy, presently person dual-capable craft stored connected European ungraded that tin transportation American B61 atomic warheads -- the aforesaid benignant that Britain is expected to use.

In June, Britain announced that it would physique up to 12 caller onslaught submarines and six munitions factories arsenic portion of efforts to re-arm the state successful the look of "threats", peculiarly from Russia.

The twelve nuclear-powered subs volition beryllium equipped with accepted weapons and signifier portion of the AUKUS subject confederation betwixt the UK, the US and Australia.

Starmer besides confirmed that London would walk £15 cardinal ($20.4 billion) connected its atomic warhead programme.

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Source: AFP