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The United States is planning to deploy nuclear weapons to the United Kingdom for the first time in 15 years, amid growing threats from Russia. According to a Pentagon report, the warheads, three times more powerful than the Hiroshima bomb, will be positioned at the US military base RAF Lakenheath, in Suffolk, established in 1996.
The growing threat from Russia has prompted the United States of America to plan to station nuclear weapons in Great Britain.
According to British media, the weapons will be deployed at the RAF Lakenheath military base in Suffolk.
Pentagon documents, according to the British media The Telegraph, reveal the contract for a new structure and the intentions of the United States to position there nuclear warheads, 3 times more powerful than the Hiroshima bombs.
"Unredacted US Department of Defense documents reveal plans for a 'nuclear mission' to be carried out soon at RAF Lakenheath," reads The Telegraph article.
The nuclear weapons that may be stationed at the base are reported to be B61-12 gravity bombs, which can be launched from warplanes.
According to the Telegraph, this is part of a NATO program to develop or upgrade nuclear weapons sites in the wake of Russian aggression.
In a reaction to the report, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense in Great Britain said that the long-standing policy of NATO and Britain prevents them from confirming or denying the presence of nuclear weapons in certain areas.
RAF Lakenheath military base in Suffolk
Washington had already used the area as a nuclear missile depot. The warheads were removed in 2008, after the Cold War threat from Moscow had subsided.
Now Pentagon documents, reported exclusively by The Telegraph, reveal contracts for a new facility at the air base.
A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: "It remains a long-standing UK and NATO policy not to confirm or deny the presence of nuclear equipment in sensitive locations."
The arms race
Recently, there have been calls from senior figures on both sides of the Atlantic for the UK to prepare in the event of a possible war between NATO forces and Putin's Russia. Earlier this week, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British army, declared that his ranks of 74,000 must be bolstered by at least 45,000 reservists and civilians to prepare for a possible conflict. Downing Street has ruled out any move towards conscription, saying military service will remain voluntary.
The tensions
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".
London has defended the British government's defense spending, saying Britain has been Washington's "preferred partner" in attacks on Houthi rebels in the Red Sea because of its "military strength" .
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