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In a bid to send a message to Russian President Vladimir Putin that it stands with Europe, the US, for the first time since 2008, has stationed its nuclear weapons in the UK.
A US aircraft flew on July 16 while transmitting its location publicly and blatantly identifying itself, from a US nuclear weapons depot at Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, to an airbase in the UK city of Lakenheath, according to defence analysts and open data, as reported by Bloomberg.
Another source, a Europe-based senior fellow at the Pacific Forum, added that the flight C-17, used primarily by the US to transport nuclear weapons, and a part of the US Air Force’s Prime Nuclear Airlift Force, did not fly over any country's territory.
According to the Bloomberg report, the budget documents of the US Department of Defence (DOD)showcase how the country has allocated millions of dollars over the years to the work being done on nuclear weapons safety facilities in Lakenheath.
Reports suggest that the US transported the new B61-12 thermonuclear bombs into Europe – the first time it has increased its nuclear arsenal in the region since the Cold War.
The senior fellow, William Alberque, noted that flying with the transponders on and transmitting the location could be a move to remind Russia that the US still has nuclear capabilities functioning in Europe.
Nato officials declined to comment.
US President Donald Trump, in recent weeks, has grown more stern in the face of his Russian counterpart. Trump has agreed to send Ukraine more US-made Patriot missiles and has threatened to hit Russia with secondary tariffs if the nation does not negotiate a ceasefire with Ukraine within 50 days.
Notably, the UK announced last month its plan to purchase numerous US-made F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying B61-12 nuclear bombs.
The B61-12 bombs are capable of carrying a warhead with adjustable yield levels and can be carried on F-35A jets and also on NATO aircraft, according to the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists.
The yield level measures the explosive power of a nuclear weapon. The missiles with adjustable yield can now be deployed either on a small army or a big one.
The use of nuclear weapons by the US, however, can only occur at the behest of its President and Commander-in-Chief, Donald Trump.
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Published On:
Jul 30, 2025
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