The British Royal Air Force (RAF) will be equipped with twelve new fifth generation F-35A planes, as part of the United Kingdom Defense and Security Review. This acquisition marks a significant advance in the construction of a more lethal and interoperable integrated force, capable of dissuading, fighting and defeating modern threats.
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The British F-35A will be mobilized for the nuclear deterrence mission of NATO in the event of a crisis, thus reinforcing the contribution of the United Kingdom to the nuclear weapons sharing agreements of the Alliance. The introduction of this plane marks the return of the RAF to a role of air nuclear deterrence for the first time since the end of the Cold War, when the country withdrew its airborne nuclear weapons.
“The threat to which we are facing today is more serious and less predictable than for any time since the Cold War. We are facing a war in Europe, a rise in Russian aggression, new nuclear risks and daily cyber attacks. Equip the RAF of the F-35A demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the principle “NATO first”, said the chief of staff of the Royal Air Force, the marshal Sir Rich Knighton.
Expansion of the F-35 fleet and modernization of the RA
As part of the second acquisition phase of 27 aircraft, the United Kingdom will buy a combination of twelve F-35A and fifteen F-35B, with additional acquisitions provided in the Defense Investment Plan. The country maintains its declared intention to acquire up to 138 units throughout the F-35 program.
In daily use, the F-35A will be operated by the 207th squadron, unit responsible for operational conversion (OCU). Their greatest fuel capacity and their reduced maintenance needs compared to the F-35B will allow more flight hours per output, improving the training of pilots and accelerating their transition to front line squadrons.
“Positioning the F-35A at the OCU was a deliberate choice. It offers more hours of flight by mission and requires less maintenance, which reduces the time necessary to train new pilots and strengthens our ability to generate forces for naval and air operations, “said the vice-swamp of the Air Beck, director of capacity and programs.
Strategic integration and interoperability with NATO
Designed to operate from conventional tracks, the F-35A offers extensive range, increased payload and better maneuverability. The new planes will be based at RAF Marham and will support the creation of a third Squadron of F-35 Lightning on the front line.
In addition, version A of the F-35 is the most widespread among the European allies, making it a real multiplier of strength for NATO, strengthening allied deterrence and joint response capacity in the face of current and future challenges.
Typhoon will continue to play an essential role in the composition of British air combat forces. The integration of Typhoon, F-35A, F-35B models and future hunters of the GCAP program, associated with autonomous systems, aims to build a modern RAF, ready to defend the sky of the United Kingdom and to operate effectively worldwide.
Source : Ministry of Defense of the United Kingdom / RAF. Images : Disclosure / RAF. This content was created with the help of the AI and revised by the editorial team.
