Britain will buy a dozen F-35A warplanes – all capable of carrying nuclear weapons – from the US, following criticism from Donald Trump that Nato members are not spending enough on defence.
Today, Sir Keir Starmer will tell a summit of Nato allies in The Hague that the new squadron will join an alliance mission that can be armed with US nuclear weapons.
The prime minister is expected to say: ‘The UK’s commitment to Nato is unquestionable, as is the alliance’s contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure.
‘But we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come.’
Downing Street Biggest hailed the purchase as the ‘biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation’.
All eyes are now on Russia and China who will undoubtedly see this as an escalatory move.
The jets, a variant of the F35Bs the UK already uses, can carry conventional weapons, but can also be equipped with nuclear bombs.
Built by US manufacturer Lockheed Martin, the fifth-generation fighter jet isone of the most advanced on the planet – but it is also one of the priciest.
Each F-35A plane costs around £60 million for the latest production lots, so a dozen could set the UK back an estimated £700 million.
The full details of the deal with the US were not immediately clear, nor was the timeline for the delivery.
But the decision represents a major victory for the Royal Air Force, which has long pushed for a return of its nuclear capabilities since the last British air-dropped nuclear weapon was withdrawn from service after the end of the Cold War.
Since then, the UK’s nuclear deterrent has been carried exclusively by the Royal Navy’s submarines, which the government has also vowed to invest in renewing with four new vessels.
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Justin Bronk, senior research fellow for airpower and military technology at RUSI, said it will take time for the RAF ‘to get back in the nuclear game’.
He said the most obvious benefit for the UK buying F-35 As will be their longer range and the fact they can carry a wider range of conventional weapons.
Nato’s nuclear mission involves allied aircraft being equipped with US B61 bombs stockpiled in Europe.
Seven nations currently contribute to ‘dual capability aircraft’ to the nuclear mission, but the use of such weapons would require the authorisation of the alliance’s nuclear planning group as well as the US president and UK prime minister.
Alongside the nuclear announcement, the UK is set to provide 350 air defence missiles to Ukraine as Sir Keir and Defence Secretary John Healey push for Nato to provide Kyiv with further support.
The delivery will be funded by £70 million raised from the interest on seized Russian assets.
Sir Keir said: ‘Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from seized Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs.’
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