US nukes to be stationed in UK are gravity bombs 3 times stronger than Hiroshima
The US is reportedly planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years amid a growing threat from Russia.
Warheads that could be located at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk under the proposals are believed to be B61-12 gravity bombs. They can be deployed from fighter jets and are said to be three times as strong as the Hiroshima bomb.
The US previously placed nuclear missiles at RAF Lakenheath, removing them in 2008 when the Cold War threat from Moscow had receded. But Pentagon documents seen by The Telegraph reveal procurement contracts for a new facility at the airbase.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: "It remains a longstanding UK and Nato policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location." It comes amid calls from senior figures on both sides of the Atlantic for the country to be prepared in case of a potential war between Nato forces and Russia.
READ MORE: US nuclear weapons to be stationed in UK for first time in 15 years over Russia threat
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(Internet Unknown)Earlier this week, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British Army, said its 74,000-strong ranks need to be bolstered by at least 45,000 reservists and citizens in order to be better ready for possible conflict. Downing Street has ruled out any move towards conscription, saying that Army service will remain voluntary.
Carlos Del Toro, the US Navy secretary, has urged the UK to "reassess" the size of its armed forces given "the threats that exist today". Downing Street defended the UK Government's spending on defence, saying Britain has been Washington's "partner of choice" in its strikes against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea because of its "military strength".
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U.S. Air Force F-35 Lightning performs a drop test of a B61-12 (DOD's F-35 Joint Program Office)
If the proposals to station US nuclear weapons in the UK go ahead, the Office of Secure Transportation (OST), part of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is expected to move the missiles. NNSA says on its website that movements of weapons between the US and Europe are carried out via Air Force certified aircraft.
Limited-life component exchanges (LLCs) - including tritium components, neutron generators, and power-source batteries - may be transported by special NNSA contract courier aircraft or by NNSA secure safeguards transport vehicles. NNSA explains: "Nuclear weapons are moved for several reasons. Warheads may be moved for maintenance activities, internal base logistics, or between locations.
A B61-12 guided nuclear bomb being taken for a flight test at the Nevada Test and Training Range (SSgt. Cody Griffith)"Warheads can be moved from an operational base to a depot as part of the dismantlement queue, and again to Pantex for actual dismantlement. Warheads may also be moved to, or from, the Pantex Plant for maintenance, repair, or for surveillance. Normally, all warhead movements from one installation to another within the continental United States are accomplished using NNSA secure safeguards ground transport vehicles.
The US may station B61-12 gravity bombs in the UK (Internet Unknown)"The Air Force uses its own certified ground vehicles and security for weapon movements within an operational base. Movements of weapons between the US and Europe are accomplished via Air Force certified aircraft. LLCs may be transported by special NNSA contract courier aircraft or by NNSA secure safeguards transport vehicles. Movement schedules are coordinated frequently between appropriate agency personnel."
A protest held in May 2022 over claims that the US intends to station nuclear bombs in the UK (Getty Images)A Pentagon spokesman said it has not confirmed any plans to store nuclear weapons in the UK. A spokesman said: "The United States routinely upgrades its military facilities in allied nations. Unclassified administrative budget documents often accompany such activities. These documents are not predictive of, nor are they intended to disclose any specific posture or basing details. It is US policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence or absence of nuclear weapons at any general or specific location."
The bombs could be stationed at Royal Air Force Lakenheath in Suffolk (Getty Images)Russia previously said it would view such a move as an "escalation". Russian foreign ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said late last year: "If this step is ever made, we will view it as escalation, as a step toward escalation that would take things to a direction that is quite opposite to addressing the pressing issue of pulling all nuclear weapons out of European countries. This practice and its development force us to take compensating countermeasures designed to reliably protect the security interests of our country and its allies."
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A B61-12 guided nuclear bomb being taken for a flight test at the Nevada Test and Training Range (SSgt. Cody Griffith)American nukes are currently stationed across Europe under a Nato arrangement. Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey all house the superpower's warheads.
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