RAF Top Guns will get nuclear bombers for the first time in 30 years — after PM Sir Keir Starmer said we must prepare for possible war.
The F-35As will be based at RAF Marham in , which housed Britain’s air-launched until 1998.
That was the year then— scrapped Britain’s air-launched bomb, the WE-177.
The new B-61 bombs, made by US-firm Lockheed Martin, can take out small areas — unlike Trident 2 missiles on Britain’s submarines which can obliterate whole cities.
The F-35As can also carry conventional weapons.
The announcement came as a new National Security Strategy warned: “For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario.”;
The Government said the jets would support nuclear mission.
Ahead of today’s Nato summit in The Hague, said: “In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my Government is investing in our national security.”;
The strategy highlighted as the most pressing example.
And it warned and are also increasing
It added: “Some adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and/or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression.”;
The new plan focuses on three areas — protecting the UK at home, working with allies to strengthen global security, and rebuilding Britain’s industries and technological capabilities.
The F-35 deal supports more than 20,000 UK , with British firms making 15 per cent of the supply chain.
The UK is expected to buy 138 F-35s in total from the US government, with the A variant offering savings of up to 25 per cent per aircraft compared to the B models already in service.
Nato chief called the announcement “yet another robust British contribution to Nato”;.
The UK is also building 12 new nuclear submarines, and investing £15billion in Britain’s sovereign nuclear warhead programme.
Ministers yesterday also said they will send 350 air defence missiles to using £70million from
The ASRAAMs can be fired from UK- supplied Raven launchers.
Sir Keir is facing pressure to explain how we will meet the Nato target of
