25-06-2025
Campaigners say east could become 'a target' as a dozen nuclear bomb fighter jets set for RAF Marham
Campaigners have claimed that stationing 12 new fighter jets capable of deploying nuclear weapons in the east of England could make the area a target for the UK's enemies.
The Ministry of Defence has confirmed that the government's purchase of a dozen American F-35A jets, a variation of the F-35Bs the UK already uses, will be based at RAF Marham in west Norfolk.
A spokesperson for the MoD refused to confirm or deny, as is government policy, whether nuclear weapons would also be housed there.
The announcement has been welcomed by some as offering job security for the base, but anti-nuclear campaigners said they feared the consequences.
Sue Wright, chair of the Norwich and District branch for the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said that with a refuelling station at RAF Mildenhall, the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk may be vulnerable.
"I am very concerned about it, it definitely does make us a target," she told ITV News Anglia.
"I've heard people say 'if it lands us on, no problem, we'll be destroyed'. There will be a certain area where everyone will die, but the surrounding area many people will die after a very long time.
"Nuclear weapons are not the answer, nuclear weapons can destroy the world."
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, speaking at a NATO summit, said it was 'the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation' and would see the UK join Nato's airborne nuclear mission.
Currently the UK's only nuclear weapons are submarine-based.
Defence Secretary John Healey said the decision followed a strategic defence review that 'confirmed we face new nuclear risks, with other states increasing, modernising and diversifying their nuclear arsenals'.
The news of the new aircraft and its potential to create more jobs in the area was welcomed by King's Lynn and West Norfolk councillor Pallavi Devulapalli, who said: "I welcome any investment in Marham as an airbase to secure it's sustainability and its future.
"It's a very important part of the local area and it provides a great boost to the local economy. We value it."
While the aircraft would belong to the UK, the weapons on board would be American B61-12 bombs.
The announcement was made at a meeting of NATO members at The Hague, where Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, along with his European counterparts, promised to increased spending on defence to 4.1% of GDP within two years and 5% by 2035.
It comes as leaders observe a tentative ceasefire between Israel and Iran in the Middle East after 12 days of intense fighting and the Russian invasion of Ukraine which began in 2022.
