- The U.S. may be preparing to return nuclear weapons to RAF Lakenheath in England, a U.S. Air Force base, according to a Federation of American Scientists report. Satellite images and procurement documents show significant infrastructure upgrades at the base, which previously stored U.S. nuclear weapons during the Cold War.
- Upgrades include refurbishment of underground vaults, improvements to aircraft shelters and construction of a secure dormitory for nuclear personnel.
- The move aligns with NATO’s nuclear modernization efforts, but there’s no confirmation on whether nuclear weapons will be permanently stored at the base.
Full Story
The United States may be taking steps to reintroduce nuclear weapons to British soil for the first time since 2008. A new report from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS) points to satellite imagery and military procurement documents suggesting extensive upgrades at RAF Lakenheath, a U.S. Air Force base in England. The report indicates that renovations began in 2021 and accelerated following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
What changes are happening at RAF Lakenheath?
RAF Lakenheath was previously a storage site for U.S. nuclear weapons during the Cold War. It has undergone significant infrastructure improvements in recent years.
According to the FAS report, underground vaults designed to store nuclear warheads have been refurbished, protective aircraft shelters have been upgraded and a secure dormitory for nuclear personnel is under construction.
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Additionally, a Pentagon budget document identified Lakenheath as a location receiving updates for “special weapons” storage, a term often linked to nuclear armaments. An Air Force personnel document from 2023 also listed Lakenheath as a potential assignment location for nuclear weapons specialists.
Does this mean nuclear weapons have returned to the U.K.?
There are no confirmed reports that nuclear weapons have already been redeployed to RAF Lakenheath. The FAS report suggests that the upgrades may be designed to facilitate the rapid transfer of warheads from other NATO bases in the event of a crisis. The United States has an estimated 100 B61-12 gravity bombs stationed across NATO bases in Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Turkey.
While the presence of these upgrades indicates preparations for a potential nuclear role, there has been no official confirmation from the U.S. government, the U.K. or NATO regarding a finalized decision to store nuclear warheads at Lakenheath.
How is Russia responding to these developments?
Moscow previously warned that any return of U.S. nuclear weapons to the U.K. would be considered an escalation. The Kremlin has stated that such a move would be met with “compensating countermeasures.” Russia has already stationed tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and continues modernizing its nuclear arsenal.
What is NATO’s role in nuclear modernization?
The reported upgrades at RAF Lakenheath align with NATO’s broader efforts to modernize nuclear infrastructure across Europe. Similar enhancements have been documented at storage sites in Germany, Italy, Belgium and the Netherlands.
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RAF Lakenheath is home to U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, which are certified to carry nuclear weapons. The base remains a strategic location for NATO’s deterrence posture.
What happens next?
Neither NATO nor the U.S. government has formally addressed the latest upgrades at RAF Lakenheath. It remains unclear whether the site will soon house nuclear weapons or if the improvements are intended as a contingency plan.
Tags: Air Force, F-35, Nuclear War, Nuclear Warheads, Nuclear weapons, tactical nuclear weapons, U.S. Air Force, United Kingdom
[Karah Rucker]
THE U.S. MAY BE PREPARING TO RETURN NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO BRITISH SOIL FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2008. A NEW REPORT FROM THE FEDERATION OF AMERICAN SCIENTISTS SAYS SATELLITE IMAGES AND MILITARY PROCUREMENT DOCUMENTS SUGGEST EXTENSIVE UPGRADES AT RAF LAKENHEATH, THE LARGEST U.S. AIR FORCE-OPERATED BASE IN THE UK. THE REPORT SAYS CONSTRUCTION HAS BEEN UNDERWAY SINCE AT LEAST 2021, WITH ADDITIONAL UPGRADES ACCELERATING AFTER RUSSIA’S INVASION OF UKRAINE.
LAKENHEATH PREVIOUSLY HOUSED U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS DURING THE COLD WAR, BUT THEY WERE REMOVED WHEN TENSIONS WITH MOSCOW APPEARED TO EASE. THE REPORT SAYS UNDERGROUND VAULTS DESIGNED TO STORE NUCLEAR WARHEADS HAVE BEEN REFURBISHED, PROTECTIVE AIRCRAFT SHELTERS UPGRADED, AND A SECURE DORMITORY FOR NUCLEAR PERSONNEL IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION.
A PENTAGON BUDGET DOCUMENT LISTED LAKENHEATH AMONG SITES RECEIVING UPGRADES FOR “SPECIAL WEAPONS” STORAGE, A TERM OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH NUCLEAR ARMAMENTS. AN AIR FORCE PERSONNEL DOCUMENT ALSO ADDED LAKENHEATH AS A POSSIBLE ASSIGNMENT LOCATION FOR NUCLEAR WEAPONS SPECIALISTS. WHILE THE U.S. HAS NOT CONFIRMED ANY NUCLEAR DEPLOYMENT, THE REPORT SUGGESTS THESE UPGRADES COULD ENABLE THE RAPID TRANSFER OF WARHEADS FROM OTHER NATO BASES IF A CRISIS OCCURS.
THE KREMLIN PREVIOUSLY WARNED THAT ANY RETURN OF U.S. NUCLEAR WEAPONS TO THE U.K. WOULD BE CONSIDERED AN ESCALATION, PROMISING WHAT IT CALLED “COMPENSATING COUNTERMEASURES.” RUSSIA HAS ALREADY STATIONED TACTICAL NUCLEAR WEAPONS IN BELARUS AND CONTINUES MODERNIZING ITS OWN ARSENAL.
RAF LAKENHEATH IS HOME TO THE U.S. AIR FORCE’S F-35A LIGHTNING II FIGHTER JETS, WHICH ARE CERTIFIED TO CARRY NUCLEAR WEAPONS.
THE REPORTED UPGRADES ALIGN WITH NATO’S BROADER MODERNIZATION EFFORTS, WHICH INCLUDE INFRASTRUCTURE ENHANCEMENTS AT NUCLEAR STORAGE SITES IN GERMANY, ITALY, BELGIUM, AND THE NETHERLANDS.
NEITHER NATO NOR THE U.S. FORMALLY ADDRESSED THE LATEST UPGRADES AT LAKENHEATH.
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