The United Kingdom announced on Wednesday (25) the purchase of 12 F-35A bomber fighters with the ability to throw nuclear air pumps.
The measure is an important step in reinforcing NATO’s nuclear nuclear mission, “in a major impetus to national security,” and is considered by the government “the greatest strengthening of the UK nuclear posture in a generation.”
The announcement coincides with the Western Military Alliance summit in The Hague, the Netherlands. Earlier, member countries reaffirmed the unshakable commitment to the group’s collective defense and pledged to invest 5% of their GDP in defense by 2035, a long -awaited position by US President Donald Trump.
So far, the British Armed Forces have only one of the fronts of the nuclear weapon launching systems: the Trident submarines, which has the ability to shoot cruise missiles. The new acquisition aims to facilitate British military action in the event of a “direct crisis”, that is, a war in Europe.
The government emphasized that new military equipment reintroduces “a nuclear role” to the British Air Force “for the first time since the United Kingdom retired its sovereign nuclear weapons thrown from the air after the end of the Cold War.”
In all, more than 100 UK -based suppliers will integrate the program called F35. In addition to nuclear weapons, F-35A bombed fighters can carry conventional weapons, a double capacity.
British Prime Minister Keir Strmer said in the announcement: “In an era of radical uncertainty, we can no longer consider peace as guaranteed, which is why my government is investing in our national security, ensuring that our armed forces have the equipment they need and that communities throughout the country collect the benefits of our defense dividends.”
“The UK’s commitment to NATO is unquestionable, as is the contribution of the covenant to keep the UK safe and protected, but we should all strive to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for future generations,” he added.
Currently, seven NATO members, including Germany and Italy, have double -capacity -free aircraft aircraft B61 nuclear warheads stored on European soil.
On Tuesday (24), Starmer had already made a statement warning about the possibility of armed conflict on British soil. “For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the United Kingdom territory suffering direct threat, potentially in a war scenario,” he said.
In the government’s statement the day before, the United Kingdom Premier stressed that the international order was “refurbished by an intensification of the competition between great powers, authoritarian aggression and extremist ideologies.” Therefore, the British Armed Forces should invest in “greater lethality, prompt combat, greater inventory of ammunition and new technologies.”
This week, the British also announced that they would join NATO’s aerotransported nuclear mission, which involves the preparation of Western aircraft coupled with B61 American bombs stored in Europe.
