Telegraph: US to deploy nuclear weapons in UK

A US F-35A Lightning II lands at Lakenheath military airfield in December 2021 (Photo: US Air Force).

Contracts to equip a new facility at Lakenheath airfield in Suffolk, the UK, show that the US intends to place nuclear warheads three times more powerful than the bomb that exploded over Hiroshima, the Telegraph reported.

The British newspaper said it discovered the documents in the US Department of Defense 's procurement database.

The documents reveal plans for a near-term “nuclear mission” at RAF Lakenheath, which housed nuclear weapons during the Cold War. The US moved its nuclear missiles out of Britain in 2008 after it deemed the threat from Moscow had diminished.

Specifically, the documents show that the Pentagon has ordered new equipment for the base, including ballistic shields to protect troops from attacks on “high-value equipment.” Construction of new housing facilities for US forces stationed at the site will begin in June.

Lakenheath Airport - owned by the Royal Air Force but mainly hosting US military personnel - is expected to receive the B61-12 gravity bomb, which has a destructive power of up to 50 kilotons.

Location of Lakenheath military airfield in Suffolk, UK (Photo: Google Maps).

The US currently has warheads stationed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Türkiye, under NATO's nuclear sharing agreement.

Commenting on the above information, a Pentagon spokesman said: "The US regularly upgrades its military facilities in allied countries. This activity is often accompanied by non-secret administrative budget documents."

"These documents are not predictive in nature and are not intended to reveal any details about postures or bases," the spokesman added. "It is US policy not to confirm or deny the presence or absence of nuclear weapons at any specific location or in general."

The Telegraph has this information in the context of the US-led West's tension with Russia. Recently, some figures in NATO countries warned that citizens need to be prepared for war with Russia.

Last week, Admiral Rob Bauer, a senior NATO military official, said that Americans should prepare for all-out war with Russia within the next 20 years.

After the outbreak of war in Ukraine, a Pentagon assessment of the US nuclear posture warned of "nuclear threats to the homeland, as well as to US allies and partners".

President Joe Biden said the US would "strengthen forces in Europe to respond to changes in the security environment".

The US has announced plans to deploy two squadrons of fifth-generation F-35 fighter jets, capable of carrying B61-12 bombs, along with the 48th Fighter Squadron to Lakenheath Airport.

Russia has said that any US deployment of weapons in the UK would be seen by Moscow as an "escalation" and would be met with "retaliatory measures".

Source: https://dantri.com.vn/the-gioi/telegraph-my-sap-dat-vu-khi-hat-nhan-o-anh-20240127134522961.htm