Media Says U.S. Likely Redeployed Nuclear Weapons to UK

(MENAFN) For the first time in over 15 years, the United States appears to have redeployed nuclear weapons to Britain, signaling a potential strategic message to Russia, according to media. The report, based on open-source intelligence and insights from defense specialists, reveals that on July 16, a US military transport plane traveled from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico — a known nuclear weapons site — to RAF Lakenheath in eastern England, with its transponder actively on.

Experts believe the aircraft was transporting B61-12 thermonuclear bombs, marking the first confirmed US nuclear deployment to the UK since 2008, several defense analysts noted.

William Alberque, a former senior NATO arms control official, suggested that keeping the aircraft’s transponder on was a deliberate move designed to send a clear signal to Moscow. “This is a down payment that there’s more to come on shifting NATO’s deterrence posture toward strengthening,” he explained. “Returning US nuclear weapons to the UK is no small feat.”

Despite the reports, neither the US nor UK governments have publicly confirmed the redeployment, and the exact number of weapons involved remains unknown.

Since the Cold War’s end, NATO’s nuclear footprint in Europe has stayed mostly steady, with tactical nuclear arms stationed in Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and Türkiye. Any repositioning of these weapons closer to Russia would be viewed as a significant escalation in tensions.

This media disclosure follows the UK’s announcement in June to purchase a minimum of 12 F-35A jets capable of carrying US B61-12 bombs — a move described by London as “the biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation.”

In a related development, former NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg revealed last year that the alliance was considering boosting nuclear deployments to counter threats from Russia and China, whom he termed “potential adversaries.” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed Stoltenberg’s comments as “yet another fueling of tensions.”

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