The United Kingdom is set to purchase at least twelve American F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons. According to The Guardian, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer made the announcement on Wednesday at the NATO summit. Starmer described this as “the biggest strengthening of Britain's nuclear position in a generation”.
The aircraft in question are F-35A fighter jets, which will be stationed at an air base in Norfolk. As well as conventional weapons, the aircraft can be equipped with American nuclear bombs that are three times more powerful than the atomic bombs that the US dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. Authorisation to use these weapons is required from the British Prime Minister, the American President, and NATO's Nuclear Planning Group.
The new jets would be based at the Marham airbase, with the acquisition of the planes expected to support 20,000 jobs in the UK, as 15 per cent of the global supply chain for the jets is based in the country.
