UK to buy F-35A fighter jets from Lockheed Martin

25/6/2025 6:09

The British government

said on Tuesday that it would purchase a dozen F-35A fighter

jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons in what it

described as the biggest expansion of its nuclear deterrent in a

generation.



The purchase of the Lockheed Martin jets would allow

Britain's air force to carry nuclear weapons for the first time

since the end of the Cold War, Downing Street said.

"In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace

for granted, which is why my government is investing in our

national security," Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a

statement.

Britain is increasing defence spending and upgrading its

military forces, including its submarine fleet, as it faces

increasing hostility from Russia and as the United States

retrenches from its traditional role as a defender of European

security.

The British government said the purchase of the jets would allow

it to contribute so-called dual-capable aircraft to NATO to

carry nuclear weapons in the event of a conflict.



NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte said "this is yet another

robust British contribution to NATO".

Britain's nuclear deterrent currently rests solely on the

Trident submarine-based system, which misfired during a test

last year, the second successive test failure after one veered

off course in 2016.

The last time Britain possessed an independent air-launched

nuclear capability was in 1998 when the WE-177 free fall bomb

was withdrawn from service, according to Britain's parliament.



Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for battlefield use,

as opposed to strategic weapons designed to be fired across vast

distances.



By purchasing the F-35A fighter jets, Britain would be able

to diversify its military options and align more closely with

NATO allies such as France, and the United States, which

maintains land, sea, and air-based nuclear capabilities.



The F-35A fighter jets are capable of carrying U.S. B61

tactical nuclear weapons. Britain would likely need the United

States to supply those weapons for use on the planes, said one

British official who declined to be named.

The United States withdrew its last nuclear weapons from Britain

in 2008, in a sign at that time that the threat of conflict

following the end of the Cold War was receding.



Downing Street said buying the new jets would support about

20,000 jobs in Britain and underline its commitment to NATO.

The government has pledged to boost overall defence and security

spending to 5% of economic output by 2035 to meet a NATO target

and said on Tuesday it must "actively prepare" for war at home

for the first time in years.