LONDON, July 21. /TASS/. For the first time since 2008, the United States has deployed its tactical nuclear weapons on British soil, UK Defence Journal wrote citing sources.
According to the report, several B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs have been transferred to the Royal Air Force’s Lakenheath base in Suffolk. The weapons are believed to have been flown from the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico to a newly constructed secure storage facility at the UK site.
RAF Lakenheath previously hosted U.S. nuclear weapons during the Cold War, but the last known removal took place in 2008 following years of arms reduction efforts across Europe. At present, the United Kingdom’s nuclear weapons are deployed on four Vanguard-class submarines, which carry US Trident II (D5) ballistic missiles.
UK Defence Journal described reports about the possible return of such weapons to the UK as "a significant shift in the nuclear posture of NATO in the European theatre amid deteriorating relations with Russia and increased emphasis on deterrence."
On June 24, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced plans to purchase from the United States 12 F-35A fighter jets, which can carry B61-12 nuclear bombs. According to the UK Defense Ministry, London will receive its first nuclear-capable planes in the late 2020s.
Commenting on these plans to TASS, Russian Ambassador to the UN Andrey Kelin said the United Kingdom has chosen Russia as its new threat to justify its return to Cold War policies.