Britain will purchase at least 12 F-35 stealth fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads, marking its most substantial nuclear capability upgrade in decades.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer is set to announce the move at a NATO summit in The Hague, where he will confirm the jets’ integration into the alliance’s mission that could involve US nuclear weapons.
F-35 jets are made by US defence giant Lockheed Martin Corp (NYSE:LMT), with Britain's BAE Systems PLC (LSE:BA.) contributing some components and playing a key role for UK models. Engines for F-35 A variants are made by RTX Corp's (NYSE:RTX, ETR:5UR) Pratt & Whitney, with Rolls-Royce Holdings PLC (LSE:RR.) playing a role in the vertical lift system for the short takeoff/vertical landing variant.
The decision comes amid heightened global instability and pressure on NATO members to bolster their defences, particularly as doubts linger over Donald Trump’s commitment to the alliance’s mutual defence clause.
As part of this rearmament drive, NATO has agreed to target 5% of GDP spending on defence by 2035, which the UK agreed earlier this week.
The UK’s new squadron revives airborne nuclear capability for the Royal Air Force for the first time since the 1990s, signalling a tougher stance on deterrence in an uncertain geopolitical climate.