The UK will buy 12 F-35A fighter jets from the US, capable of carrying B61-12 tactical thermonuclear bombs, Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office said.
“In an era of radical uncertainty, we can no longer take the world for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security“, said the head of the British government.
As the “Times” newspaper notes, it is planned that the UK will be able to use such weapons as part of NATO missions in times of crisis. According to the publication, according to London's plans, American nuclear weapons will be stationed on the territory of the UK for the first time since 2008. since.
At the beginning of the Cold War, London had V-class bombers capable of carrying nuclear weapons, but then submarine-launched ballistic missiles began to perform nuclear deterrence tasks. Currently, the United Kingdom's nuclear weapons are located solely on four Vanguard-class submarines, which carry US-made Trident II (D5) ballistic missiles.