Britain is preparing to reintroduce air-based nuclear weapons for the first time since the Cold War, in a significant shift in defence policy aimed at countering growing threats from Russia.
The government is in advanced discussions with the United States about acquiring fighter jets capable of delivering tactical nuclear weapons, marking what would be the UK’s most substantial nuclear deterrent development in decades. The move would allow the UK to launch nuclear weapons from both air and sea, adding a second platform to its current submarine-only capabilities.
Chief of the Defence Staff Admiral Sir Tony Radakin and Defence Secretary John Healey are leading the talks with Pentagon officials. The discussions focus on procuring American-made F-35A Lightning II stealth jets, capable of carrying B61 gravity bombs — low-yield nuclear weapons already in service with NATO allies such as Germany.
The change signals a major update in Britain’s strategic posture, as outlined in the upcoming Strategic Defence Review to be launched on Monday by Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. The review calls for an expansion of the UK’s role in NATO’s nuclear deterrence and places the defence industry on alert for rearmament to match wartime-level production.
“We are being directly threatened by states with advanced military forces,” Starmer wrote in The Sun on Sunday. “So we must be ready to fight and win. After all, the best way to prevent conflict is by preparing for it.”
The government has pledged to raise defence spending to 3% of GDP by 2034 and has committed £1.5 billion to construct six new munitions factories across the country, a move that will create or support nearly 2,000 jobs.
Britain decommissioned its last tactical nuclear weapons and V-bombers following the Cold War, focusing instead on the Trident submarine-based system. In contrast, the US retains the capability to launch nuclear weapons from land, air, and sea.
“The world is definitely becoming more dangerous. Nuclear risks are rising,” said Defence Secretary Healey. “For the first time since the Cold War, we face seriously increasing risks of state-on-state conflict. The lesson from Ukraine is that a country’s armed forces are only as strong as the industry behind them.”
If implemented, the acquisition of air-deliverable nuclear weapons would represent a dramatic enhancement of the UK’s deterrent strategy at a time of heightened geopolitical instability, reaffirming its commitment to NATO and European defence amid ongoing tensions with Moscow.