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US Tactical Nuclear Weapons Reportedly Return to UK for First Time Since 2008

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Photo of Ivan Khomenko
Ivan Khomenko
News Writer
US Tactical Nuclear Weapons Reportedly Return to UK for First Time Since 2008
An RAF F-35 Lightning II performs a flight maneuver in the UK. This aircraft type is compatible with B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs reportedly redeployed to RAF Lakenheath. (Source: Getty Images)

The United States has reportedly redeployed tactical nuclear weapons to the United Kingdom for the first time in over 15 years, marking a potential shift in NATO’s nuclear posture in Europe.

The weapons are believed to be B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs, transferred to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England.

The bombs were flown from the US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico and delivered to a newly built secure storage facility at the UK site, according to UK Defence Journal on July 21.

While the US Department of Defense has not officially confirmed the movement, and the UK Ministry of Defense does not comment on nuclear deployments, multiple sources have indicated the arrival of the weapons.

The B61-12 is a modernized tactical nuclear bomb with variable yield and precision guidance capabilities. It is compatible with several delivery platforms, including the F-35A Lightning II. RAF Lakenheath, home to the 48th Fighter Wing’s 493rd and 495th Fighter Squadrons, operates the F-35A and was among the first European bases to do so.

RAF Lakenheath last hosted US nuclear weapons during the Cold War, with the final removal reported in 2008 amid broader disarmament efforts across Europe.

The return of nuclear capabilities to the base follows infrastructure upgrades first noted in 2022 US budget documents, which referenced construction projects aligned with nuclear mission requirements.

Officials from both the US and UK governments have not commented on the reported redeployment.

Earlier, Kremlin-aligned media figure Margarita Simonyan warned that US plans to supply Ukraine with long-range missiles could force Russia to issue a “nuclear ultimatum,” claiming no other outcome was possible.

Her statement, echoed by state media and pro-war bloggers, followed reports that President Trump may soon approve weapons capable of striking deep into Russian territory.

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