The United States is planning to redeploy nuclear weapons in Lakenheath, eastern England.
Pentagon documents seen by The Telegraph reveal the United States plans to move nuclear weapons to the UK after a 15-year absence.
The documents show that Washington has procured the new facility at the Royal Air Force (RAF) in Lakenheath, Suffolk. The new facility will allow the US to house tactical nuclear weapons that can be deployed by F-35 fighter jets, media reported last week.
The US removed its nuclear warheads from the UK in 2008, after risk assessments back then stated that the Cold War threat from the Russians had diminished.
The Pentagon’s unredacted documents on the US Defense Department’s procurement database reveal plans for a “nuclear mission” that will take place “imminently” at RAF Lakenheath, where nuclear weapons were stationed during the Cold War.
The redeployment of American nukes in the UK takes place as the West’s assessment of the threat posed by Russia increased after Moscow launched its special military operation in eastern Ukraine in 2022, prompting the West to flood Kiev with weapons and munitions.
Meanwhile, the UK’s military top brass, analysts and MPs have been sending a stark message about the growing threat of WWIII.
A senior British army commander warned in a speech last week that a “citizen army” will be needed for any confrontation with Russia.
General Sir Patrick Sanders said preparing for war against Russia should be a “whole-of-nation” undertaking, including what he described as “national mobilization”.
UK’s Defense Secretary Grant Shapps warned recently that the UK is adapting to a “pre-war world”.
In response, the Kremlin announced that the deployment of US nuclear weapons in Britain would be viewed by Moscow as an “escalation” on their behalf and would be met with “compensating counter-measures”.
In past years, the US-led NATO forces have been mounting pressure on Moscow by expanding its sphere of military influence in Russia’s direction, adding new members to the group, and extending huge shipments of military aid including weapons and munitions to pro-West countries surrounding Russia.
Russian leader, Vladimir Putin, has pointed out that American nuclear weapons have been stationed in US bases across Europe for decades.
Some of the European bases where US nuclear weapons are stationed include the UK’s RAF Lakenheath, Germany’s Volkel Air Base, Kleine Brogel Air Base, Buhel Air Base, Italy’s Aviano Air Base, Ghedi Air Base and Turkey’s Incirlik Air Base.
