Britain has announced plans to buy at least 12 stealth fighter jets capable of firing nuclear warheads. It’s the most significant change to the UK’s nuclear arsenal in a generation, with Britain not having air-launched nuclear capabilities since 1998.
The US-made fifth-generation F-35A, which costs around £80 million, is one of the most advanced aircraft in the world. The UK already operates the more expensive B variant of the aircraft, which is capable of operating from land and the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers at sea. On the other hand, the A is the land-only variant, but it does offer a number of advantages.
The F-35A is operated by a number of nations, including the US, South Korea and Australia, and will be flown in British service by the Royal Air Force.
It is lighter and slightly larger than the UK’s current F-35Bs and a bigger payload means it can pack a greater punch on the frontline.
The A also has a greater range than the B, something which many experts will argue is crucial, with some critics arguing the range of the latter is too small.
In comparison, the F-35A has a range of nearly 1,400 miles and a combat range — the further distance an aircraft can travel from its base, complete a mission and return home — of around 679 miles, while the F-35B has a range of around 1,035 miles and a combat radius of approximately 517 miles.
Even with this increase, the F-35As from their base in RAF Marham, Norfolk, are out of range of NATO’s eastern flank.
However, this can be increased significantly by air-to-air refuelling which the RAF regularly does on operations to keep jets in the air for longer.
But it’s what the F-35As can carry is why the Government has decided to invest in them.
It has a payload of 18,000lb (3,000lb more than the F-35B) and, crucially, can drop US B61-12 gravity bombs — something the F-35B cannot do.
The weapon is at the heart of NATO’s nuclear airborne mission.
The Government has confirmed the RAF’s F-35As will join the alliance’s Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) programme — a critical cog in NATO’s nuclear deterrence umbrella.
It comes as Sir Keir Starmer attends the second day of the NATO summit at the Hague.
The UK joins seven other allies in the nuclear sharing arrangement.
It sees the US deploy a limited number of B61s to locations in Europe which remain under US custody and control.
In the event of a NATO nuclear mission in conflict, the weapons can be carried by certified DCA aircraft.
The B61 is what is known as a tactical, or substrategic, nuke.
They have a lower, but still powerfield, yield compared to strategic nuclear weapons like the UK’s Trident deterrent which focuses on the concept of mutually assured destruction.
The weapons are designed for specific battlefield uses, such as wiping out a column of tanks or heavy armour.
An RAF source told The Telegraph: “Our enemies should be a little bit more scared to see us getting tactical nuclear weapons that can be dropped on advancing troops. It should make their eyes water.”
There have been growing calls for the UK to acquire tactical nuclear weapons in recent years.
Russia possesses the weapons and there have been concerns Vladimir Putin could deploy them in Ukraine.
Critics have argued that without the weapons, the UK lacks an “escalation ladder” to respond appropriately.
The Government says the UK is still expected to eventually purchase 138 F-35s, made by Lockheed Martin.
It said the 12 F-35As will be instead of 12 F-35Bs in the UK’s next procurement package.
The A variant is cheaper than the B, with the Government expecting to save up to 25% per aircraft.
The F-35A can also carry conventional weapons and has a top speed of Mach 1.6.
It can also can pull G forces of 9.