The United States has likely moved nuclear weapons back to the United Kingdom for the first time since 2008, according to defense analysts. This is to signal to Russia that the US remains serious about protecting European security.

On July 16, a US military aircraft flew from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, a known nuclear weapons depot, to the Royal Air Force base in Lakenheath, UK. The flight, which kept its transponder switched on and traceable, was operated by the Prime Nuclear Airlift Force, a US Air Force unit responsible for transporting nuclear weapons.

The aircraft’s route did not pass through any other country’s airspace, and the journey was confirmed by open-source tracking data and defense experts like William Alberque, a senior fellow at the Pacific Forum.

The US Department of Defense’s budget documents show that millions have been spent over the past few years on upgrading security infrastructure or "surety" facilities at the Lakenheath base. These upgrades suggest preparations for handling nuclear arms.

Experts believe that the weapons likely moved were B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs, the latest version of US tactical nuclear weapons. If confirmed, this would mark the first increase in US nuclear arms in Europe since the Cold War.

“There are strong indications that the US has returned nuclear weapons to the UK,” said Hans Kristensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.

Alberque noted that keeping the flight's transponder on, allowing it to be tracked, was likely intentional. It sends a clear message to Russia that the US is not stepping back from its nuclear presence in Europe.

“This is a down payment that there’s more to come on shifting NATO’s deterrence posture toward strengthening,” he said. “Returning US nuclear weapons to the UK is no small feat.”

The B61-12 bombs can be carried by F-35A fighter jets, which the UK announced it would purchase last month. These aircraft will be available for NATO’s nuclear mission, as confirmed in a recent policy update from the UK Ministry of Defence (MoD).

“This decision reintroduces a nuclear role for the RAF for the first time since the UK retired its sovereign air-launched nuclear weapons after the Cold War,” the MoD stated.

According to Sidharth Kaushal, a senior fellow at the Royal United Services Institute, these modern nuclear bombs offer NATO more flexible and targeted options. “Capabilities such as the B61 can contribute to limiting the impact of Russia’s large advantage in theater-level nonstrategic nuclear weapons,” he said.

B61-12 bombs have a variable yield, meaning their explosive power can be adjusted between 0.3 kilotons and 50 kilotons. Their advanced design allows them to hit both small military targets and large areas, depending on the mission.

While the bombs may be deployed in NATO countries, only the US President has the authority to use them.

The reported delivery to the UK brings the total number of B61-12 deployments in Europe to seven airbases across six NATO countries, according to Kristensen.


You might also be interested in - Mother shields 8-month-old baby from fire in Air India crash