Information has emerged that several B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs have been delivered from the United States to the Royal Air Force base at Lakenheath, the UK Defence Journal reports.
This is the first return of US nuclear weapons to the UK since 2008. According to several sources, the munitions arrived from the US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico. They will be stored in a new secure storage facility built on the Lakenheath site.
The US Department of Defense has not provided official confirmation of the transfer. The British Ministry of Defense also does not comment on the presence of American nuclear weapons.
The B61-12 bombs have variable power and precision guidance systems. They are compatible with many aircraft platforms, including the fifth-generation F-35A Lightning II fighter jet, which is operated by the UK's 493rd and 495th Squadrons at Lakenheath.
The infrastructure work needed to return the nuclear arsenal was documented in US budget documents as early as 2022.
RAF Lakenheath has housed US nuclear weapons since the Cold War, but they were removed in 2008 as part of pan-European disarmament efforts. The announcement of their return signals a major shift in NATO's nuclear strategy in Europe amid worsening relations with Russia and a growing focus on deterrence.