The United Kingdom is set to purchase 12 U.S.-made F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs, marking a significant expansion of its nuclear capabilities. Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the move on Wednesday while attending a NATO summit in the Netherlands.
Calling it “the biggest strengthening of the U.K.’s nuclear posture in a generation,” the government emphasized that the country will now participate in NATO’s shared airborne nuclear mission. This mission involves deploying aircraft that can carry both conventional weapons and U.S.-owned B61 nuclear bombs stationed across Europe.
NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised the move, describing it as another strong contribution by Britain to the alliance.
The UK had retired its air-delivered nuclear weapons in the 1990s after the Cold War, relying solely on submarine-launched missiles for its nuclear deterrent. With this step, the UK will become more directly involved in NATO’s nuclear mission, joining seven other countries that contribute aircraft for potential nuclear operations, though actual nuclear decision-making remains tightly controlled.
Use of such weapons would require approval from NATO’s nuclear planning group, the U.S. president, and the British prime minister. While the announcement signals a policy shift, questions remain. Marion Messmer, an expert at Chatham House’s international security program, pointed out that the government has not clarified whether U.S. nuclear weapons will be hosted on British soil—an issue that could provoke public debate.
“The U.K. doesn’t possess its own air-deliverable nuclear weapons,” Messmer explained. “Other NATO states involved in this mission host U.S. nuclear bombs under American control, and the same would likely apply here.”
In a separate move, Starmer also announced that Britain will send 350 air defense missiles to Ukraine. The aid package will be funded through £70 million ($95 million) generated from interest on frozen Russian assets.
These announcements come as the UK and other NATO countries commit to boosting total security spending to 5% of GDP by 2035. That includes 3.5% specifically for defense and 1.5% for wider security and resilience measures. The UK currently spends 2.3% of GDP on defense, with plans to increase that to 2.6% by 2027.
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