Saturday, March 29, 2025
Washington/London – The United States has reportedly deployed nuclear weapons to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2008, in a move seen as a strategic signal to Russia and a reaffirmation of Washington’s commitment to European security.
While both US and UK governments have maintained a long-standing policy of not commenting publicly on nuclear deployments, open-source data and defense analysis strongly suggest the return of US tactical nuclear weapons to RAF Lakenheath in England.
On July 16, a US Air Force C-17 Globemaster III was observed flying from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico—home to a major US nuclear weapons depot—to RAF Lakenheath, UK, with its transponder on, allowing the flight to be publicly tracked.
According to William Alberque, a senior fellow at the Pacific Forum, the aircraft belonged to a US prime nuclear airlift squadron, used specifically for transporting nuclear weapons. He noted the plane avoided flying over foreign airspace, further reinforcing suspicions of a sensitive mission.
Pentagon budget documents have for years detailed construction projects at RAF Lakenheath labeled as “guarantee facilities”—Pentagon jargon for nuclear security infrastructure.
These developments align with increased investment in support systems for handling B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs, widely believed to be part of the latest shipment.
Analysts believe the weapons deployed are the new B61-12 gravity bombs, marking the first increase in US tactical nuclear presence in Europe since the Cold War.
According to Hans Kristensen, Director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists, “There are strong indicators” that the US has returned nuclear weapons to UK soil.
The B61-12 bomb features a variable yield ranging from 0.3 to 50 kilotons and can be delivered by F-35A fighter jets and other compatible NATO aircraft.
Alberque suggested that leaving the flight transponders on was a calculated signal to Moscow. “This is a down payment on strengthening NATO’s nuclear deterrence posture,” he said, hinting that more deployments could follow.
Dr. Sidharth Kaushal, senior research fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), noted that the deployment could serve to narrow Russia’s advantage in theater-level non-strategic nuclear weapons.
This move follows the UK’s recent announcement to purchase at least a dozen additional F-35A fighter jets, capable of carrying B61-12 bombs. This marks a reintroduction of nuclear capability for the Royal Air Force (RAF) for the first time since the UK retired its air-launched nuclear weapons after the Cold War.
In an updated Ministry of Defence (MoD) policy document, the UK acknowledged that NATO’s deterrence depends not only on US-deployed nuclear arms but also on host nation support and infrastructure.
The reported US nuclear deployment to the UK signals a shift in NATO’s nuclear posture, amid rising tensions with Russia. As nuclear policies evolve, the strategic balance in Europe’s security architecture may be entering a new phase.
