For the first time since at least 2008, US nuclear weapons reportedly returned to British soil, with multiple sources indicating that many B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs have been transferred to RAF Raykenheath in Suffolk this week.
The weapon is believed to have been fed from the US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Centre at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico to a newly constructed safe storage facility at a British site.
The US Department of Defense has not publicly confirmed the movement, and the Department of Defense has not commented on the presence or absence of nuclear weapons in certain locations.
The B61-12 is a modernized, low-yield tactical nuclear bomb with a variety of explosive powers and precise guidance. It is designed to be compatible with a variety of distribution platforms, including the F-35A Lightning II. The 48th fighter wing of the RAF Lakenheath flew the F-35A and runs both the first fighter squadron and the 495th Fighter Squadron in Europe.
RAF Lakenheath previously held US nuclear weapons during the Cold War, but the last known removal took place in 2008 after years of disarmament-related reductions across Europe. The reported return of such weapons represents a major shift in NATO’s nuclear stance in European theatres amid worsening relations with Russia and increasing emphasis on deterrence.
The reestablishment of nuclear storage capacity at Lakekenheath was first signalled in 2022 through a US budget document, listing infrastructure upgrades that match nuclear mission preparations.
MNA/