US has relocated its nuclear weapons to UK for the first time in twenty years, as a part of NATO’s nuclear presence in Europe, according to reports.
What Are Open-Source Analysts Saying About US Nuclear Presence in UK?
According to open-source analysts tracking military flights, an aircraft was observed departing from Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and was bound for the Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Lakenheath, located in eastern England.
Kirtland Air Force Base is the headquarters of the US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, a major storage facility for America’s nuclear arsenal.
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Neither US nor UK have confirmed the developments in accordance with the long-standing UK and NATO policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons at specific sites.
RAF Lakenheath And The History Of US Nuclear Weapons in UK
Speculation about whether RAF Lakenheath might once again house U.S. nuclear weapons has circulated for years. The base was a key site for American nuclear weapons deployment for several decades until 2008.
In 2023, the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) noted that US military budget documents “strongly” suggested that the Air Force intended to reestablish its nuclear weapons mission in the UK RAF Lakenheath is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, known as the “Liberty Wing,” which has undergone substantial upgrades in recent years.
What Does Presence of US Nuclear in UK Mean?
The FAS warned that if the US relocates nuclear weapons back to the UK, it would represent a departure from decades of policy that emphasized a southern focus for European nuclear deployments following the Cold War’s conclusion.
Flight tracking data confirms a USAF C-17 cargo aircraft departed Albuquerque on July 16, flying over 10 hours to RAF Lakenheath, and then returned to the US two days later.
William Alberque, former head of NATO’s nuclear non-proliferation center, told The Times that “it looks like it went to England, dropped off those weapons and then it went back to regular operations in the US”
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
