WIREDGOV

EXPERT COMMENT

The aircraft will add redundancy to NATO’s DCA mission but will not improve UK deterrence – and come at the cost of other urgently needed systems.

The UK government released a press statement shortly before the NATO Summit in The Hague this week, announcing the purchase of F35A fighter jets. The aircraft are intended to join NATO’s Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) nuclear mission.

This move appears to have been intended both to enhance the UK contribution to NATO’s nuclear mission while also binding it even closer to the US.

The UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), released weeks before, had recommended that the armed forces purchase F35As – to serve alongside the F35B (a short take off and vertical landing variant of the aircraft) currently flying with the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy. However, the SDR did not spell out how to arm the F35As. And the UK does not possess any nuclear weapons that could be deployed via the aircraft.

The F35As are certified to carry US B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs – low to intermediate yield nuclear weapons. And other states in NATO participate in the DCA mission do so by hosting these US nuclear weapons. With this purchase, it looks as if the UK is planning to do the same. But at what cost?

Click here to continue reading the full version of this Expert Comment on the Chatham House website.