Overview

• Open-source flight data confirms a Prime Nuclear Airlift Force C-17 flew with its transponder on July 16 from Kirtland Air Force Base to RAF Lakenheath
• Defense analysts assess the delivery most likely included B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bombs, marking the first stationing of US tactical nukes in the UK since 2008
• US Department of Defense budget records reveal millions spent over several years on surety facilities at Lakenheath to meet B61-12 handling and security standards
• The UK’s planned acquisition of nuclear-capable F-35A fighters will restore the RAF’s air-launched nuclear mission for the first time since the Cold War
• Forward deployment of these weapons underscores NATO’s strategy to strengthen non-strategic deterrence against Russia, with any use requiring direct presidential approval