Hague (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Britain will purchase 12 F-35A jets to reintroduce a nuclear role for the RAF and join NATO’s nuclear mission for the first time since the Cold War.
As reported by The Guardian, the UK will acquire at least 12 advanced fighter aircraft, marking the Royal Air Force’s return to nuclear operations since the Cold War.
The jet purchase signals a major shift in the UK’s nuclear strategy as international tensions continue to grow. It coincides with Britain joining NATO’s nuclear aircraft-sharing mission with allied nations.
What did Keir Starmer say about the UK’s F-35 jet deal?
At Wednesday’s NATO summit in The Hague, British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer will reveal plans to buy aircraft capable of carrying both nuclear and conventional weapons.
Mr Starmer, announcing the jet deal, said the UK must accept that peace is no longer guaranteed in a time of global uncertainty.
He stated,
“Supporting 100 businesses across the country and more than 20,000 jobs, these F-35 dual-capable aircraft will herald a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force and deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our allies.”
He added,
“The UK’s commitment to NATO is unquestionable, as is the alliance’s contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure, but we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come.”
The move follows a major government review warning that Britain must be prepared for the possibility of war conditions at home.
Addressing journalists during his flight to the NATO summit, the Labour leader reaffirmed his commitment to the manifesto promise of no tax increases for working people.
When asked if he would raise taxes to fund the promise, Sir Keir stated,
“Every time we’ve set out our defence spending commitments, so when we went to 2.5 per cent in 2027-28, we set out precisely how we would pay for it, that didn’t involve tax rises. Clearly, we’ve got commitments in our manifesto about not making tax rises on working people, and we will stick to our manifesto commitments.”
How will F-35 jets boost RAF power and create 20,000 jobs?
The National Security Strategy, published on 24 June, warned of growing global instability amid ongoing conflict in the Middle East and Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The government said the jet deal would create 20,000 jobs, with Britain hosting 15% of the global supply chain for the aircraft.
RAF Marham in Norfolk will host the new F-35 jets, as the government moves forward with plans to buy 138 across the programme’s duration.
The Ministry of Defence said choosing 12 F-35A aircraft instead of F-35Bs for the upcoming procurement phase will save taxpayers 25% per jet.
What did Donald Trump say about NATO’s Article 5 commitment?
Shortly before Donald Trump refused to endorse NATO’s Article 5, Keir Starmer described the US president as a “close ally,” reaffirming the UK’s diplomatic ties.
When asked whether he would support NATO’s Article 5 commitment, Mr Trump said it “depends on your definition” of the article.
He told reporters,
“There are numerous definitions of Article 5. You know that, right? But I’m committed to being their friends, you know, I’ve become friends with many of those leaders, and I’m committed to helping them.”
What did John Healey reveal about cyber threats to UK Defence?
John Healey stated,
“We are under constant attack. I came in as Defence Secretary less than a year ago and I have been quite taken aback, I have to say, to find that over the last year, we’ve had 90,000 direct attacks on different parts of defence that we can link to hostile states, including Russia.”
He added,
“We’ve seen increasing Russian activity around our underwater sea cables and it’s really telling us that in this world of increasing uncertainty, we have to take the defence of our homeland more seriously.”