For the first time since at least 2005, U.S. nuclear weapons have been deployed onto the territory of the United Kingdom, with sources reporting that several B61-12 Thermonuclear Gravity Bombs were transferred this week from the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) at Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, to the newly-built nuclear weapons storage facility at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk, England. The B61-12 is an advanced low-yield “tactical” nuclear gravity bomb that is able to be equipped by a number of aircraft, including the F-35A Lightning II, which is flown by both 493rd Fighter Squadron and 495th Fighter Squadron based at Lakenheath.
For the first time since at least 2005, U.S. nuclear weapons have been deployed onto the territory of the United Kingdom, with sources reporting that several B61-12 Thermonuclear Gravity Bombs were transferred this week from the U.S. Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center (AFNWC) at… pic.twitter.com/AS4QiI4NEx
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) July 20, 2025
The British deterrent comprises submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The British government recently announced plans to acquire F-35A stealth fighters that will have the ability to deliver U.S.-owned B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs. While this will reinstate the United Kingdom’s air-launched nuclear capability, the use of those weapons has to be approved by the United States and the NATO alliance.
https://www.twz.com/nuclear/uk-and-france-to-join-forces-for-nuclear-deterrence