In a dramatic shift to Britain’s nuclear posture, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the UK will purchase 12 U.S.-built F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads, signaling the likely return of U.S. nuclear weapons to British soil for the first time since 2008.

Tactical Nukes Return to UK Under NATO Umbrella

Revealed at the NATO summit in The Hague, the purchase places Britain back into NATO’s dual-capable aircraft (DCA) program. The F-35As are expected to carry the U.S. B61-12 gravity bomb—whose variable yields range from 0.3 to 50 kilotons, more than three times the size of the Hiroshima bomb.

The weapons will remain under U.S. control in compliance with the Non-Proliferation Treaty. They may be stored at RAF Lakenheath, where U.S. nuclear vaults are currently being upgraded, or potentially at RAF Marham, which has legacy vaults from Britain’s prior tactical arsenal.

A “Substrategic” Deterrent for an Unstable Era

Britain has not operated air-launched nuclear weapons since the WE177 was retired in 1998. Until now, the UK’s nuclear deterrent has relied solely on submarine-launched Trident missiles. Defense planners argue the addition of tactical air-launched options is needed to deter Russian battlefield nuclear threats.

“This is about preparing for a world where we must defend our homeland,” said Defence Secretary John Healey, citing new strategic reviews that warn of direct threats from Russia and Iran.

Jobs, Industry, and NATO Commitments

The jets—cheaper than the F-35Bs already in UK service—are expected to support 20,000 jobs and over 100 UK suppliers. Starmer called the plan a “NATO-first strategy” that ties defense to economic growth, while pledging to meet the alliance’s new 5% of GDP defense spending goal by 2035.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the move as “a robust British contribution to the alliance.”