UK Media: US May Have Deployed Nuclear Weapons to Britain for First Time in 17 Years

The Times Reports Suspected Delivery of B61 Nuclear Bombs to the UK
First Deployment of U.S. Nuclear Weapons in Britain in 17 Years?

A British media outlet has reported that the United States may have deployed nuclear weapons to the United Kingdom for the first time in 17 years.

Unrelated to the article. Yonhap News

On July 22 (local time), The Times, a British daily, reported based on analyses by military experts that a C-17 transport aircraft, which departed from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico on July 17, appears to have landed at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England, carrying B61 nuclear bombs.

Kirtland Air Force Base is a major hub for U.S. Air Force nuclear weapons. RAF Lakenheath hosts U.S. Air Force units and military personnel. The Times speculated that the nuclear bombs were delivered for use with the F-35A fighter jets, which the United Kingdom has announced plans to newly introduce.

William Alberque, a senior fellow at the Pacific Forum who previously oversaw nuclear nonproliferation at NATO, explained, "It appears that the (U.S. military transport) aircraft went to England, dropped off the weapons, and then returned to regular U.S. operations," adding, "It is also well known that they have been preparing facilities for several years to accommodate nuclear weapons."

Senior Fellow Alberque also analyzed that, given the U.S. military transport aircraft flew with its transponder switched on, the United States may have intended to signal its intentions to Russia. He also pointed out that the United Kingdom plans to newly acquire 12 F-35A fighter jets.

Both the U.S. and U.K. defense departments declined to comment on this report. Currently, the United Kingdom maintains its nuclear capability solely based on its naval submarine force.