Evidence has emerged over the past few days that U.S. B61-12 nuclear bombs have been transferred to RAF Lakenheath, the U.S. base in eastern England that is home to two squadrons of F-35A stealth fighters, and one F-15E Strike Eagle, all nuclear capable. The main piece of evidence is the flight, last week, of a U.S. Air Force C-17 cargo plane from Kirtland AFB, New Mexico, to Lakenheath. Kirtland is home to the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center, which is in charge of managing the stockpile of nuclear weapons in the custody of the Air Force. The flight was nonstop and supported by air refueling off the U.S. East Coast. It carried a call sign, indicating it was a high-priority mission. Its arrival at Lakenheath July 17 was also accompanied by airspace restrictions over the base, the last of which doesn’t expire until July 26. The particular C-17 used on this flight is assigned to the 62d Airlift Wing at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington state. The 62nd is the only unit in the USAF certified for what are called Prime Nuclear Airlift Force missions. If confirmed, this would be the first time U.S. nuclear weapons have been stationed in Britain since they were withdrawn in 2008.
“The operation of this flight—including the call sign, and the use of tankers—matches those previously monitored and suspected as PNAF missions,” reported [The Aviationist blog. “These have been noted travelling to bases in Europe where B61s are already known to be located.”
Not known is whether or not the return of U.S. nuclear bombs to Lakenheath, preparations for which actually began in 2022, overlaps the British plan that Prime Minster Starmer announced during the NATO summit last month, to buy nuclear-capable F-35As and join NATO’s nuclear sharing plan. The F-35As are to be stationed at RAF Marham, about 25 km north of Lakenheath.
Not surprisingly, the movement of U.S. nuclear weapons has not been confirmed by either the Defense Department or by the British government.
