As the British Prime Minister Keir Starmer prepares to present the much-awaited Strategic Defense Review on June 2, there are speculations that the Labor government is exploring the reintroduction of air-launched nuclear weapons back into the Royal Air Force (RAF).
A report in The Times claimed that the United Kingdom is in talks with the United States to purchase F-35A Lightning II aircraft capable of delivering tactical gravity nuclear bombs.
Citing some unidentified officials, the report claimed that the move is a response to a “new era of threat” posed by Russia.
The report noted that the Chief of the Defense Staff, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, and Defence Secretary John Healey support the plan, which is reportedly the biggest change in the UK’s nuclear posture since the end of the Cold War.
The decision, which is likely to be a component of the larger Strategic Defense Review, is also reportedly supported by Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
The EurAsian Times could not independently corroborate these claims. However, reports in the past have suggested that the UK could place an additional order for the F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter to replace the 49 Tranche 1 Eurofighter Typhoons that are being retired.
The F-35A is reportedly being selected over the latest, upgraded variants of the Eurofighter Typhoon operated by the RAF, despite opposition from British rights groups.
The UK earlier placed an order for 48 F-35B Lightning II aircraft, of which 37 have already been delivered. It is pertinent to note that the British military has exclusively acquired the F-35B aircraft, a short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) variant of the fighter jet specifically engineered for operations from short-field bases and aircraft carriers.
Thus, the anticipated purchase of the F-35A is intriguing and has likely contributed to speculations that the RAF wants to equip it with nukes.
In March 2024, the F-35A was operationally certified to carry the B61-12, a low-yield, thermonuclear gravity bomb, making it a “dual-capable” aircraft that can carry both conventional and nuclear weapons.
The UK currently does not have B61-12 bombs, but Pentagon documents obtained from the US Department of Defense’s procurement database last year revealed that RAF Lakenheath is being prepared to host the B61-12 gravity bombs.
The RAF Lakenheath is operated by the US Air Force (USAF) under British regulations and laws and hosts US-operated F-35A aircraft. Earlier, it was thought that these US F-35As deployed at Lakenheath would be armed with B61-12 bombs.
However, if The Times report holds some weight, the British F-35A will also soon roar over the UK with air-launched nuclear bombs.
The B61-12 is part of NATO’s nuclear sharing program, which essentially allows US-owned nuclear weapons to be hosted in non-nuclear NATO countries such as Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, for deterrence.
In January, the US appeared to confirm that the B61-12 had been deployed in Europe, without naming the host countries.
The 12-foot B61-12 bomb carries a 50 kiloton warhead. It is known for its precision, owing to a controlled tail rudder that also allows for the removal of its parachute, enabling the pilot to airdrop the bomb miles away from the target.
Earlier, the UK also hosted the B61 family of nuclear weapons. However, they were withdrawn in 2008 due to a diminished perception of the nuclear threat.
Britain also had its air-launched nuclear bombs. Ironically, it was a Labor government that decided to pull the plug on air-launched nuclear capability about 27 years ago, and it is a Labor government that may have allegedly decided to revive it.
Following the 1998 Strategic Defence Review (SDR) conducted by the Labour government under Tony Blair, the UK stopped using air-launched nuclear weapons in 1998. At the time, the decision was formalized with the withdrawal of the WE.177 free-fall nuclear bombs, the last air-delivered nuclear weapons in the British arsenal.
The disintegration of the former Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War in 1991 reduced the perceived need for a large and diverse nuclear arsenal.
Since 1998, the Trident submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBM) have been the only source of the UK’s nuclear deterrence. However, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the return of conventional war to Europe, and Moscow’s repeated nuclear brinksmanship appear to have forced a strategic rethink in London.
Nonetheless, the reports that have published details of the review do not mention that the air-launched nuclear capability is returning to Britain. The British Defense Secretary John Healey also refrained from commenting on the prospect of reintroducing air-launched nuclear weapons, instead reaffirming the Trident’s importance.
“For over 70 years, our UK nuclear deterrent has been the ultimate guarantee of security in this country. It’s what Putin fears most,” he told the BBC.
British Strategic Review For A New Era Of Threat
The Strategic Defense Review, which will assess the risks facing the UK and provide recommendations, is scheduled for release by the Labour government on June 2.
Led by Lord Robertson, a former NATO Secretary General and Defense Secretary, alongside Dr. Fiona Hill and General Sir Richard Barrons, it is the first externally led defense review in UK history. It has reportedly made 62 suggestions to respond to a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, emphasizing “war-fighting readiness” and modernization to counter threats from Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea, referred to as the “deadly quartet.”
The review is expected to classify the threat posed by Russia as “immediate and pressing” and describe China as a “sophisticated and persistent challenge,” according to the Guardian. North Korea and Iran will be characterized as “regional disruptors” and possibly antagonistic to the UK, despite all four countries beginning to show signs of cooperation.
The review warns that the country is entering “a new era of threat” amid threats of modern warfare such as drones and artificial intelligence.
Drawing on Ukraine’s success in using AI to identify and strike targets, the review recommends a £1 billion (USD 1.35 billion) investment to develop a “Digital Targeting Web,” a system integrating AI, software, and sensors on ships, satellites, or fighter jets, to enable faster battlefield targeting. Additionally, the review emphasizes rapid adoption of digital technologies to modernize the Armed Forces and improve multi-domain integration.
According to reports, it warns about daily cyberattacks on UK military networks, citing over 90,000 “sub-threshold” attacks during the previous two years, many of which were ascribed to Russia.
As recommended by the review, the UK is reportedly set to expand its nuclear-powered attack submarine fleet, committing to build 12 new submarines under the AUKUS program alongside the US and Australia. These new submarines will replace the seven Astute-class submarines, with the first launches expected in the late 2030s.
The review also reportedly urges an increase in armaments and support equipment inventories, some of which might only last a few days in a contingency, and recommends a shift to “war-fighting readiness” to counter Russian aggression in Europe.
It calls for six new munitions factories with a £1.5 billion (USD 2.03 billion) investment to create an “always on” production capacity, aiming to produce up to 7,000 UK-built long-range weapons.
The review emphasizes addressing critical deficiencies in the UK’s industrial base, as highlighted by the war in Ukraine, where Western munitions production has struggled to meet demand.
The review also reportedly reaffirms the UK’s commitment to its independent nuclear deterrent centered on the Trident missile system carried by Vanguard-class submarines, which will soon be replaced by the Dreadnought submarines. It calls for an investment of £15 billion (USD 20.32 billion) in modernizing the nuclear weapons manufacturing facility at Aldermaston in Berkshire to supply bombs for the Dreadnought submarines.
“We’re in a world that is changing now… and it is a world of growing threats,” Defense Secretary John Healey told the BBC in an interview. ”It’s growing Russian aggression. It’s those daily cyberattacks, it’s new nuclear risks, and it’s increasing tension in other parts of the world as well,” he said.
The review does not include an increase in defense spending. Beyond a pledge to raise spending by roughly £5 billion (USD 6.77 billion) to 2.5% of GDP in 2027 and to 3%, the defense review is not anticipated to reveal any rapid increases in defense budgets.
However, in a conference later this month in The Hague, Starmer and other NATO leaders are expected to debate and agree on new spending targets of roughly 5% of GDP, of which 3.5% will be allocated to military spending and the remainder to cyber-defense and other infrastructure.
John Healey admitted on June 1 that any plans to expand the strength of the British army, which has been at its lowest level for 300 years, will have to wait until after the election.
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