The Hague, Netherlands, June 25 (AP) - The United Kingdom is set to enhance its nuclear deterrent capabilities significantly by purchasing 12 U.S.-made F-35 fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs. Prime Minister Keir Starmer made this announcement on Wednesday during a NATO summit held in the Netherlands. This move will integrate the UK into NATO's shared airborne nuclear mission.
The UK government has described this step as "the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation." NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte praised the decision, emphasizing it as a profound contribution from Britain to NATO's defense strategy.
Historically, the UK phased out its air-dropped atomic weapons in the 1990s after the Cold War. Currently, its nuclear arsenal solely comprises submarine-based missiles. Within NATO, only the US, Britain, and France maintain nuclear arms, although seven other nations contribute to NATO's nuclear mission by providing jets capable of carrying both conventional armaments and the American B61 nuclear bombs stationed in Europe.
The deployment of nuclear weapons by the UK under this mission would necessitate authorization from NATO's nuclear planning group, alongside approvals from the US president and British prime minister.
In addition to this development, Starmer announced that the UK would supply Ukraine with 350 air defense missiles. This initiative is financed by 70 million Pounds (approximately USD 95 million) accrued from interest on seized Russian assets.
These announcements align with commitments from the UK and other NATO members to elevate their security spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035, which includes a 3.5% allocation to defense and another 1.5% to broader security and resilience endeavors. The UK currently allocates 2.3% of its national income to defense, with plans to increase this to 2.6% by 2027. (AP)
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