More Proof US Nukes Are Returning to Britain!
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
LONDON (August 31, 2023) — Fresh evidence that Britain is being primed for the return of US nuclear weapons was revealed this week. US Air Force budget documents seen by the Federation of American Scientists outline that a $59 million “surety dormitory” to house 144 military personnel will be built at Lakenheath airbase in Suffolk.
In US military and government speak, “surety” is a term used to refer to keeping nuclear weapons safe, secure, and under control. It follows revelations last year that the nuclear storage bunkers at Lakenheath will be upgraded to house the B61-12, Washington’s newest guided nuclear bomb, due for deployment to US/NATO bases in Europe this year.
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A You Gov poll found that 59 percent of Britons are opposed to the deployment of US nuclear weapons in Britain. This makes the upcoming day of action on Saturday 23 September all the more important in getting our message across to the wider public. Strengthening our movement against nuclear weapons is top of the agenda.
Organizing to Block US Nukes
CND is renewing calls for the UK to refuse to allow the US to site its nuclear weapons in Britain. Fresh budget documents reveal that plans to store the new B61-12 at Lakenheath airbase are gathering pace.
The Federation of American Scientists said that US Air Force budget documents dated March 2023 “strongly imply” that Washington is in the process of re-establishing its nuclear weapons presence in Britain for the first time in fifteen years. It follows reports last year that Lakenheath airbase in Suffolk was added to a list of US-operated airbases in Europe to undergo multi-million dollar upgrades allowing for the storage of the new B61-12 guided nuclear bomb.
The latest documents, published as part of the USAF 2024 budgetary justification package, express the need for a “surety dormitory”. As FAS notes, “surety” is a term used by US government departments to “refer to the capability to keep nuclear weapons safe, secure, and under positive control.”
The 144-bunk dormitory, the documents say, is needed, as with “the influx of airmen due to the arrival of the potential Surety mission and the bed down of the two F-35 squadrons there is a significant deficiency in the amount of unaccompanied housing available for E4s and below at Royal Air Force Lakenheath.” Construction is expected to last from June 2024 to February 2026.
Since learning of Lakenheath’s addition to the list of sites to be upgraded last year, CND has held three national demonstrations at the base to highlight local and national opposition to the move. On Saturday 23 September, local groups will hold events across the country to highlight the danger US nuclear weapons will bring to Britain as a whole, if they are allowed back by the UK government.
CND General Secretary Kate Hudson said:
“It’s increasingly clear that Lakenheath is once again a vital cog in Washington’s overseas nuclear machine — despite refusals from the British government to acknowledge this reality. The deployment of the new B61-12 to Europe undermines any prospects for global peace and ensures Britain will be a target in a nuclear conflict between the US/NATO and Russia. It’s beyond irresponsible that the UK government is allowing this deployment. CND calls on Rishi Sunak to refuse to host the B61-12.”
ACTION ALERT: Stop US Nukes Coming to Britain:
Day of Action: September 23
Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament
(August 31, 2023) — CND condemns the return of US nuclear weapons to RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk and we encourage all our supporters to join a day of action against this extremely dangerous and destabilising development!
US nuclear weapons coming to Britain make us all a target in any nuclear war. This is a national problem not a regional one — we want everyone to understand what a nuclear attack would mean for them.
We’re asking CND groups and supporters to organise an event or action on Saturday 23 September. This could be a rally, die-in, public meeting, or anything else you think would make an impact.
Posted in accordance with Title 17, Section 107, US Code, for noncommercial, educational purposes.
