The United States has returned nuclear weapons to Britain, in what is seen as a significant shift in NATO's nuclear strategy. This is reported by Bloomberg, citing open sources, reports Focus.
On July 16, a US military transport plane C-17 transferred B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs from the Kirtland base in the US to the British Lakenheath air base in Suffolk, TASS reports.
“There are good reasons to believe that the United States has returned the nuclear weapons to the UK“, said Hans Christensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.
According to William Alberke, senior researcher at the Pacific Forum, the inclusion of transponders during the flight was a signal to Moscow that Washington is not reducing its nuclear presence in Europe.
According to the UK Defense Journal, this is the first delivery of B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs to the UK since 2008. The publication emphasizes that this step reflects a change in NATO's strategic nuclear policy against the background of increasing tensions with Russia.
Nuclear weapons have been stored at the Lakenheath base since 1949, but were withdrawn in 2008. Currently, the UK's nuclear forces are located on four Vanguard-class submarines armed with Trident II (D5) missiles.
The new British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has already announced the country's intention to purchase twelve F-35A fighter jets from the United States, capable of carrying the B61-12. The first aircraft are expected to be delivered by the end of the decade.