UK to purchase United States aircraft capable of carrying nuclear weapons

Open the newsletter to watch the White House for free

Your guide to what the second period of Trump means to Washington, business and the world

The UK will purchase 12 F-35 F-35 fighters capable of carrying nuclear weapons, in a comprehensive reform of the country’s defense strategy.

Under plans, Britain will join the NATO nuclear mission, and F-35A aircraft will carry US offensive bombs, as the military alliance contradicts the increasing threat of Russia.

The UK government’s purchase of aircraft is a significant expansion of the country’s nuclear deterrent. Currently, Britain can only launch nuclear weapons from Vanguard’s submarines, which it carries on Basti Trident missiles.

UK Prime Minister Sir Kerr Starmer will announce the acquisition of F-35a aircraft on Wednesday at the NATO summit in The Hague, where US President Donald Trump is expected to pressure European members of the coalition to increase their spending on defense.

Starmer said: “In the era of radical uncertainty, we can no longer take peace as a Muslim by it, and this is the reason that my government is investing in our national security, which ensures that our armed forces have the equipment they need and the societies up and down in the country, reaping the benefits from our defensive profits,” Starmer said.

The F-35 is manufactured by Lockheed Martin from the United States, but the decisive ingredients are manufactured in Britain.

The NATO summit is likely to be controversial due to Trump’s demands that European members of the coalition increase their defensive spending to 5 percent of GDP.

Mark Root, NATO Secretary -General, has made plans for allies to allocate 3.5 percent of GDP for basic military spending and 1.5 percent for areas such as Internet and infrastructure by 2035, to fill the gaps in European capabilities.

Roti praised the UK commitment to the purchase of F-35A aircraft. “The UK announced its nuclear deterrent to NATO for several decades, and I strongly welcome (the announcement) that the UK will now join the NATO nuclear task and the purchase of F-35A.”

The UK’s purchase has regained an atomic role for the Royal Air Force for the first time since the country retired in the air nuclear weapons at the end of the Cold War.

F-35A can carry both nuclear and traditional weapons, and new RAF Marham aircraft will fall into Norfolk.

The UK is already operating dozens of F-35B aircraft, especially from the Royal Marine Aircraft companies, but it is not able to carry nuclear weapons.

The government said it is committed to buying 138 F-35s in total.