Britain Revives Airborne Nuclear Capability With F-35 Stealth Jets Purchase

The UK retired its Royal Air Force nuclear capabilities at the end of the Cold War, but is now reversing course amid an ‘era of radical global uncertainty.’

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the NATO Summit, The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24, 2025. Christian Hartmann/Reuters

The UK will purchase a dozen U.S.-made F-35A stealth fighter jets capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons, marking the first time since the Cold War that the UK’s air force will be able to carry nuclear arms.

“In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security,” UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a statement on June 25.