US Nuclear Weapons Redeployed to UK for First Time Since 2008

The United States has redeployed nuclear weapons to British soil for the first time in 17 years, marking a major escalation in NATO’s nuclear posture in Europe amid growing tensions with Russia.

According to the UK Defense Journal, multiple B61-12 thermonuclear bombs have been transferred to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk. The weapons were reportedly moved from Kirtland Air Force Base in New Mexico, home to the US Air Force’s nuclear weapons center.

RAF Lakenheath, which hosted US nuclear weapons during the Cold War, last held such armaments in 2008 before they were withdrawn as part of a broader effort to reduce NATO’s nuclear footprint in Europe. The reintroduction of these weapons signals a strategic shift in response to evolving security threats on the continent.

defense analysts suggest this move is intended to bolster NATO’s deterrence capability amid increasing military tensions with Moscow. The decision reflects a broader trend of enhanced NATO activity near Russia’s borders, which the alliance describes as necessary to counter Russian aggression.

Neither the US Air Force nor the UK government has officially confirmed the redeployment. However, the Kremlin has previously warned that the presence of American nuclear weapons in Europe undermines regional security and fuels the risk of escalation.