Overview

• The jets will be stationed at RAF Marham in Norfolk and are expected to be delivered before 2030.
• They will join NATO’s dual-capable aircraft mission, bolstering the alliance’s nuclear deterrence against Russia.
• The F-35As cannot refuel using the RAF Voyager’s probe-and-drogue system and will rely on boom-capable tankers from NATO partners.
• Nuclear weapons carried by the aircraft remain under US ownership and require explicit approval from Washington for release.
• The UK plans to procure 138 F-35s over the programme’s lifetime, a move that is projected to support 20,000 jobs in the domestic supply chain.