US nukes deployed to England for first time in over a decade

For the first time since at least 2008, U.S. nuclear weapons have reportedly returned to British soil, with multiple sources indicating that a number of B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs were transferred this week to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

The weapons are believed to have been flown from the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico to a newly constructed secure storage facility at the UK site.

The U.S. Department of Defense has not publicly confirmed the movement, and the Ministry of Defence typically does not comment on the presence or absence of nuclear weapons at specific locations.

The B61-12 is a modernised low-yield tactical nuclear bomb capable of variable explosive power and precision guidance. It is designed to be compatible with a range of delivery platforms, including the F-35A Lightning II. The 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath operates both the 493rd and 495th Fighter Squadrons, which fly the F-35A and are among the first in Europe to do so.

RAF Lakenheath previously hosted U.S. nuclear weapons during the Cold War, but the last known removal took place in 2008 following years of disarmament-related reductions across Europe. The reported return of such weapons would represent a significant shift in the nuclear posture of NATO in the European theatre amid deteriorating relations with Russia and increased emphasis on deterrence.

The re-establishment of nuclear storage capability at Lakenheath was first signalled in 2022 through U.S. budget documents, which listed infrastructure upgrades consistent with nuclear mission readiness.

Neither the U.S. Air Force nor UK officials have issued comment on this week’s reported deployment.