Anti-nuclear campaign says US may redeploy nukes to UK
2 Min Read
In August, two squadrons of US-made F-35A jets, equipped with the capability to conduct nuclear strikes were scheduled to arrive at the US-rented Lakenheath base in the United Kingdom.
-
U.S. President Joe Biden shakes hands with Britain's Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in Downing St. in London on July 10, 2023 (AP)
According to International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) Executive Director Melissa Parke, the United States could deploy nuclear weapons in the United Kingdom, adding to about 100 of its units already stationed in five other NATO countries.
In August, two squadrons of US-made F-35A jets, equipped with the capability to conduct nuclear strikes were scheduled to arrive at the US-rented Lakenheath base in the United Kingdom, according to a recent report by The Telegraph citing a defense source.
The scheduled deployment of the F-35A jets marks a significant upgrade in the United States aerial capabilities in the region, according to the defense source.
Parke told an ACANU briefing with UN-accredited journalists on Thursday that according to numbers she processes, the US has "around 100 nuclear weapons based in five other NATO states: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, and evidence suggests they are going to return them to the UK as well."
Park also recalled Moscow saying it had deployed its tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus in response to the expanding presence of US nuclear weapons across NATO.
In March, Belarus confirmed it will host Russian tactical nuclear weapons, confirming that the decision comes in response to years of Western pressure, including sanctions.
Minsk revealed that the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons has been common practice in NATO countries, with estimates suggesting that the US has deployed approximately 150 tactical bombs in strategic positions across Europe.
In response, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki announced in June that Poland wanted to host US nuclear weapons.
The data collected by the ICAN shows that global spending on nuclear weapons increased to $82.9 billion in 2022, with the US spending more than all other nuclear powers combined.
