At the NATO Summit, UK’s Prime Minister has announced that UK intends to buy at least a dozen of the dual capable aircraft, which can carry both nuclear and conventional weapons.
Follow Aeronews on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Bluesky and TikTok
The UK will deploy the jets as part of NATO’s nuclear Dual Capable Aircraft mission, strengthening NATO’s nuclear deterrence posture. The purchase represents the biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation. It also reintroduces a nuclear role for the Royal Air Force for the first time since the UK retired its sovereign air-launched nuclear weapons following the end of the Cold War.
The new fast jets will be based at RAF Marham, with the Government expected to procure 138 F35s over the lifetime of the programme. The procurement of 12 F-35A rather than 12 F-35B as part of the next procurement package will deliver a saving of up to 25% per aircraft for the taxpayer.
The decision will support 20,000 jobs in the F35 programme in the UK, with 15% of the global supply chain for the jets based in Britain, supporting highly skilled jobs and opportunities for working people and delivering a defence dividend across the country.
This announcement further underlines the UK’s unshakeable commitment to NATO, and the principle of collective defence under Article V. The UK remains committed to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons and upholds all our obligations under the NPT.
This announcement follows the SDR’s commitments to deliver up to 12 new conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines and £15bn this parliament to deliver the sovereign nuclear warhead programme.
