For the First Time in 15 Years, US Nuclear Weapons May Be Deployed in the UK Due to Russian Threat
The United States is preparing to deploy nuclear weapons in the UK for the first time in 15 years, amid a growing threat from Russia.
The Telegraph reports this with reference to Pentagon documents.
The procurement contracts for the new RAF Lakenheath facility in Suffolk confirm that the United States intends to deploy nuclear warheads at the airbase, which are three times the yield of the Hiroshima bomb.
The procurement documents describe in detail the order for new equipment for the base, including ballistic shields. These shields are reportedly designed to protect military personnel from attacks aimed at "high-value assets".
In addition, leaked documents indicate that a new housing facility for the US military is being planned, with construction expected to begin in June. This move is in line with a broader strategy to improve the base's infrastructure to support the expected "nuclear mission".
US nuclear missiles have been stored at RAF Lakenheath in the past, but were removed in 2008 at a time when it was believed that the Cold War threat from Moscow had disappeared.
The "nuclear mission" will soon be re-deployed to the base.
This came amid growing warnings from the British and American militaries about the prospect of war with Russia, which is itself a nuclear power.
The announcement follows public statements that NATO countries should prepare their citizens for war with Russia.
In particular, Admiral Rob Bauer, NATO's senior military official, said last week that ordinary citizens should prepare for an all-out war with Russia in the next 20 years, which would require dramatic changes in their lives.
In turn, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the commander-in-chief of the British army, warned that the public would need to be called upon to join the fight if there was a war with Russia, as the army is too small. His comments prompted Downing Street to react and rule out a general conscription.
As The Gaze has written, the nuclear threat from Russia is also increasing at the Ukrainian nuclear power plant occupied by the Russian army, the largest in Europe. The Russian occupiers do not allow IAEA experts to enter the nuclear facility to check safety.