US previously removed nuclear missiles from UK at end of Cold War.
Missiles Headed to RAF Lakenheath for
Potential War between NATO and Russia
The Guardian & INews
(January 26, 2024) — The US is planning to station nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years amid a growing threat from Russia, according to a report. Warheads three times as strong as the Hiroshima bomb would be located at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk under the proposals, the Telegraph reported.
The US previously placed nuclear missiles at RAF Lakenheath and removed them in 2008 after the Cold War threat from Moscow receded. Pentagon documents seen by the newspaper reveal procurement contracts for a new facility at the airbase.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “It remains a longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location.”
Calls have recently come from senior figures on both sides of the Atlantic for the UK to be prepared in case of a potential war between NATO forces and Russia. Earlier this week, Gen. Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British army, said its 74,000-strong ranks need to be bolstered by at least 45,000 reservists and citizens in order to be better readied for possible conflict.
Downing Street has ruled out any move towards conscription, saying the army service will remain voluntary.
Carlos Del Toro, the US navy secretary, has urged the UK to “reassess” the size of its armed forces given “the threats that exist today”.
Downing Street defended the UK government’s spending on defence, saying Britain had been Washington’s “partner of choice” in its strikes against Houthi rebels in the Red Sea because of its “military strength”.
The latest news follows warnings that NATO countries need to ready their citizens for conflict with Russia. Admiral Rob Bauer, a senior NATO military official, said last week that private citizens should prepare for all-out war with Russia in the next 20 years.
NATO Calls for “All Out War” with Russia
General Sir Patrick Sanders, the head of the British Army, claimed the public would need to be called up to fight if there was war with Russia because the Army was too small. His comments forced No 10 to rule out conscription.
American weapons once again being stationed in the UK forms part of a NATO programme to develop and upgrade its nuclear sites in response to heightened tensions with the Kremlin since its invasion of Ukraine.
Russia has previously that stated the placement of US weapons in Britain would be viewed as an “escalation” and would be met with “compensating countermeasures”.
The Telegraph claims unredacted documents on the US Department of Defense’s procurement database reveal plans for a “nuclear mission” that would take place “imminently” in RAF Lakenheath.
The Pentagon previously refused to comment about reports that a new “surety dormitory” was planned for Lakenheath, which is run by the US Air Force under British regulations and laws.
Documents allegedly show the Pentagon ordered new equipment for the base, including ballistic shields, that were intended to protect military personnel from attacks on “high value assets”.
It is also alleged the papers show that construction of a new housing facility for American forces will go ahead in June.
In 2022 a protest was held outside the base over concerns that nuclear weapons could return to the site.
Related Article
NATO Calls on Russia to Destroy New Missile, Warns of Response, Reuters, June 25, 2019
