At the height of the growing global war of tension and fear of the Third World War, the United Kingdom announced the purchase of 12 F-35A Lightnint II aircraft with nuclear power, that Dauning Street considers the “most strengthening of the nuclear structure of the United Kingdom to the generation”.
This acquisition marks a historical turn for the old military force: for the first time since the 1990s, the Royal Air Force (RAF) will again have air agents that can wear and launch nuclear weapons, which adds NATO to the NATO air mission and expands its traditional disinfects based on submarine foundations.
British nuclear deterrence: from submarines to poachers
Prior to the announcement, the nuclear deterrence of the United Kingdom was based exclusively in his park of four Vanguard class nuclear submarines equipped with Trident II D5 ballistic missiles. This system, known as “continuous deterrence at sea”, was the cornerstone of British nuclear policy from the end of the Cold War after the removal of nuclear bombs, thrown out of aircraft in 1998.
The British arsenal is estimated at about 160 active nuclear leaders and a total of 225, which puts the country as the fourth largest nuclear weapon holder around the world, exceeded only Russia, the United States and France.
The inclusion of the F-35A means that the United Kingdom can not only continue to guarantee its independent deterrence, but also completely adds to the “distribution of burden” (distribution of efforts) of NATO nuclei, as well as seven other European countries that already operate double-power aircraft (ordinary and nuclear) for the transport of US bombs B61.
F-35a Lightning II will expand the nuclear capabilities of the United Kingdom.
F-35A: Pastbisht technology and global nuclear capacities
The F-35A people, made by Lockheed Martin, are a decrease and the usual landing version of the fifth-generation hunting, and differs from the F-35b (already in operation in RAF) due to greater autonomy, lifting and less need for maintenance. The British F-35 will be ready to transport tactical bombs B61-12, which allows them to achieve goals of thousands of kilometers and penetrate complex protection due to their poaching technology.
The decision to acquire these fighters reacts to the perception of a growing threat, especially for uncertainty regarding the future US military obligations in Europe. “In times of radical uncertainty, we can no longer give peace,” said Prime Minister Keir Starmer, emphasizing that this measure enhances both national security and commitment to the United Kingdom of NATO.
Strategic and political consequences
The return of the nuclear potential of British air implies several strategic consequences:
- Diversify the deterrent, which makes it difficult to neutralize the British nuclear arsenal in case of a crisis.
- This enhances NATO position in Europe, adding a compatible and advanced platform for collective defense.
- This allows the United Kingdom to fully participate in the joint nuclear mission of the Alliance, although the use of nuclear weapons will continue to demand the approval of both the British Prime Minister and the President of the United States and the NATO nuclear planning group.
The enlarging and far plane F-35A is able to launch nuclear bombs.
Buying a F-35A is part of a wider package of British military modernization, which includes improving its underwater fleet, reinforcement of cyber-and-spatial capabilities and increasing the nuclear arsenal in response to an increasingly volatile international environment.
With these movements, the United Kingdom, historical nuclear energy, now adds weapons with high technologies, which allows it to project the ability to contain any part of the planet, in the context of new global tension and competition.
