RAF pilots will get NUCLEAR bombers for first time in 30 years as Keir Starmer says UK must prepare for threat of war

Scottish Sun

10 hours ago

The Government said the jets would support Nato's nuclear mission
RAF NUKES RAF pilots will get NUCLEAR bombers for first time in 30 years as Keir Starmer says UK must prepare for threat of war
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RAF Top Guns will get nuclear bombers for the first time in 30 years — after PM Sir Keir Starmer said we must prepare for possible war.
The F-35As will be based at RAF Marham in Norfolk, which housed Britain's air-launched nuclear weapons until 1998.
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RAF Top Guns will get nuclear bombers for the first time in 30 years
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PM Sir Keir Starmer said Britain must prepare for possible war
Credit: PA
That was the year then—PM Tony Blair scrapped Britain's air-launched bomb, the WE-177.
The new B-61 bombs, made by US-firm Lockheed Martin, can take out small areas — unlike Trident 2 missiles on Britain's submarines which can obliterate whole cities.
The F-35As can also carry conventional weapons.
The announcement came as a new National Security Strategy warned: 'For the first time in many years, we have to actively prepare for the possibility of the UK homeland coming under direct threat, potentially in a wartime scenario.'
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The Government said the jets would support Nato's nuclear mission.
Ahead of today's Nato summit in The Hague, Sir Keir said: 'In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my Government is investing in our national security.'
The strategy highlighted Russia's invasion of Ukraine as the most pressing example.
And it warned Kremlin-backed cyber attacks and Iranian hostile activity in the UK are also increasing
It added: 'Some adversaries are laying the foundations for future conflict, positioning themselves to move quickly to cause major disruption to our energy and/or supply chains, to deter us from standing up to their aggression.'
The new plan focuses on three areas — protecting the UK at home, working with allies to strengthen global security, and rebuilding Britain's defence industries and technological capabilities.
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The F-35 deal supports more than 20,000 UK jobs, with British firms making 15 per cent of the supply chain.
The UK is expected to buy 138 F-35s in total from the US government, with the A variant offering savings of up to 25 per cent per aircraft compared to the B models already in service.
Nato chief Mark Rutte called the announcement 'yet another robust British contribution to Nato'.
The UK is also building 12 new nuclear submarines, and investing £15billion in Britain's sovereign nuclear warhead programme.
Ministers yesterday also said they will send 350 air defence missiles to Ukraine using £70million from seized Russian assets.
The ASRAAMs can be fired from UK- supplied Raven launchers.
Sir Keir is facing pressure to explain how we will meet the Nato target of spending five per cent of GDP on national security by 2035.
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Ahead of today's Nato summit, Keir said: 'In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my Government is investing in our national security'
Credit: Getty
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Nato chief Mark Rutte called the announcement 'yet another robust British contribution to Nato'
Credit: Getty