Britain is preparing a major update to its defence strategy. The government does not rule out the possibility of an attack on the country's territory.
Britain is buying a squadron of American F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying American-made tactical nuclear bombs, giving the country the ability to launch nuclear weapons from the air for the first time since the late 1990s.
The Wall Street Journal writes about this.
According to the publication, British nuclear weapons are currently based on four Vanguard submarines.
“The UK's nuclear review highlights both fears of Russian aggression and Europe's reliance on US equipment. As European leaders fear an isolationist Donald Trump presidency, they are considering expanding their nuclear capabilities as a deterrent,” the reporters say.
“Buying another US-made aircraft with US-controlled source code to carry US-owned nuclear weapons effectively deepens the UK's dependence on US goodwill,” said University of Exeter defence expert David Blagden.
Britain announced the purchase of 12 F-35As at a NATO summit when it pledged to increase defence spending by 5% along with other allies by 2035. London will also contribute its F-35s to the alliance’s air-to-air nuclear mission. Several European countries, including Germany and the Netherlands, have jets that can be armed with US nuclear bombs and deployed in the event of war. Such missions would need the approval of the US president as well as NATO planners.
Let us recall that British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced a large-scale reform of the Armed Forces, aimed at putting the army into a “war preparedness” mode due to growing threats and global instability.
Starmer said the new defence strategy was based on three principles: ensuring combat readiness, strengthening the UK's role in NATO and innovating “at wartime pace”.
“The best way to prevent a conflict is to prepare for it,” the prime minister said at the time.
In particular, the reform envisages investing about $20 billion in the nuclear warhead program and building 12 new nuclear submarines within the framework of the trilateral AUKUS pact with the United States and Australia (one submarine every 18 months).
A new defence doctrine to be presented to the Commons by the Defence Secretary is set to make the UK army “10 times more lethal” by 2035. Starmer says the measures are a response to the ongoing threat from Russia and to prevent potential conflict being triggered by preparations for it.
The Telegraph reported that the UK is secretly preparing for a military attack by the Russian Federation. Officials have been instructed to update 20-year-old contingency plans. It is noted that ministers fear that not only will the UK be outgunned by Russia and its allies on the battlefield, but it will also be left unprepared and poorly protected at home.
