Nuclear disarmament campaigners are urging Prime Minister Keir Starmer to confirm whether US nuclear weapons in UK bases have been reinstated after a 17-year absence. This call follows a suspicious US Air Force transport flight landing at RAF Lakenheath last week. Experts believe it carried tactical B61-12 bombs.
On Friday, a C-17 Globemaster III operated by the US Air Force’s sole nuclear transport unit flew from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico to Suffolk’s RAF Lakenheath. Aviation analysts noted the aircraft’s transponder was active. This made its path publicly traceable. Kirtland houses an estimated 2,500 nuclear warheads.
Therefore, similar flights recently delivered weapons to NATO bases in Belgium and the Netherlands under “nuclear sharing” agreements. Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists warned this could mark NATO’s first Cold War-era increase in European nuclear stockpiles. This expansion could potentially be from 100 to 130 warheads.
Moreover, members of Lakenheath’s 493rd Fighter Squadron, dubbed the “Grim Reapers,” fueled speculation by selling a mushroom cloud-shaped coin at an airshow. One side bore a skull and the phrase “prepare to meet thy maker.” Aviation Week’s Tony Osborne called it an “overt” hint at their new mission.
Despite mounting evidence, the UK Ministry of Defence maintains its policy to “neither confirm nor deny” nuclear deployments. Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) chair Tom Unterrainer criticized the secrecy: “The public deserves transparency on this escalation.”
Furthermore, the B61-12 bombs ranging from 0.3 to 50 kilotons could be deployed by F-35A jets. The UK recently pledged to buy these jets. Their suspected arrival precedes Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine. This invasion triggered NATO’s push to boost defense spending to 3.5% of GDP by 2035.
In addition, Kristensen noted the move would signal NATO’s “shift from restraint to countering Russian nuclear threats.” However, critics warn storing US nuclear weapons in UK heightens escalation risks without parliamentary debate.
CND demands Starmer address Parliament, arguing citizens should not rely on “military analysts’ guesswork” for such critical updates. With RAF Lakenheath’s storage facilities recently upgraded, observers say official denial may no longer suffice.
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