Britain will reintroduce nuclear-capable fighter jets into its defence arsenal for the first time since the Cold War, in what Downing Street has called the “biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation.”
Twelve F-35A Lightning II aircraft, capable of carrying both conventional and nuclear weapons, will be purchased to support NATO’s nuclear mission, bolstering the UK’s deterrent capability beyond its current submarine-based system.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer is expected to formally announce the move at a NATO summit on Wednesday. In a statement released ahead of the gathering, Starmer said the acquisition would mark “a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force” and serve to “deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our Allies.”
The F-35A is the conventional take-off variant of the stealth fighter produced by US defence firm Lockheed Martin. While Britain already operates the F-35B, designed for short take-offs and vertical landings from aircraft carriers, the newly acquired A variant has the specific capability to carry B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs, aligning the UK more closely with NATO’s nuclear sharing arrangements.
The jets will be based at RAF Marham in Norfolk, a key hub for British air power and already home to the RAF’s F-35B fleet.
A Strategic Shift
Since the 1990s, Britain’s nuclear deterrent has rested solely with its fleet of Vanguard-class submarines, armed with Trident II D5 missiles. The retirement of the RAF’s nuclear role reflected a post-Cold War security environment in which tactical nuclear weapons were seen as unnecessary.
But the security landscape has shifted dramatically.
“There was no longer any real interest in tactical nuclear weapons in Europe, because the threat had disappeared,” said Heloise Fayet, a nuclear specialist at the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri). “Today’s announcement illustrates the continued re-nuclearisation of Europe, the renewed need for nuclear weapons, and the strengthening of NATO’s deterrence, in the face of an adversary, Russia.”
The UK’s decision comes as the war in Ukraine enters its third year, with increasing tensions between NATO and Moscow driving a broader re-evaluation of deterrence strategies across the alliance.
NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte welcomed the announcement, calling it “yet another robust British contribution to NATO.”
A Long-Standing RAF Request
The RAF has been lobbying for nuclear-capable aircraft for several years, arguing that a diversified deterrent strengthens operational flexibility and reinforces NATO’s collective security architecture.
With the arrival of the F-35As, Britain joins a group of NATO allies, including the United States, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands, that maintain dual-capable aircraft as part of the alliance’s nuclear posture.
No deployment timeline has been formally released, but defence sources suggest the aircraft could begin arriving at RAF Marham within the next few years, pending integration and certification for nuclear operations.
