A NATO country is arming itself: It is acquiring aircraft capable of a nuclear strike

According to the British newspaper The Sunday Times, which is referred to by the American Newsweek, it is a strategic decision supported by senior officials of the British Ministry of Defense. Although several other options are being considered, the F-35A currently stands out as the favorite. The negotiations with the US Ministry of Defense are described as "very sensitive", and are led by Admiral Sir Anthony David Radakin, Chief of the General Staff, and Defense Minister John Healy.

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When asked by journalists, the Ministry of Defense refused to comment on the details, but in an interview with the British media Healy confirmed that "such discussions are not held in public" and did not rule out the possibility of acquiring those aircraft. If the purchase goes through, it would be a clear signal of a change in Britain's security strategy, which will be further elaborated in the new Strategic Defense Review for 2025, due to be published tomorrow.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer also announced an increase in the defense budget from the current 2.3 to 2.5 percent of GDP by 2027, in response to NATO demands and growing threats from Russia. In an op-ed for The Sun, published on Sunday, Starmer said his government was determined to restore "Britain's war readiness", particularly in the context of new nuclear challenges and cyber attacks by Russia, Iran and North Korea.

The F-35A Lightning, according to the US Air Force, has a range of more than 2,100 kilometers and can carry up to 8,160 kilograms of cargo. This aircraft type is already certified to carry B61-12 low-intensity thermonuclear gravity bombs.

After the Cold War, Great Britain withdrew all tactical nuclear bombs that were launched from the air, and as a nuclear deterrent system it uses only Vanguard-class submarines equipped with Trident missiles. The eventual acquisition of the F-35A could mark the return of air-delivered nuclear capabilities to the British arsenal, which would significantly change the current defense doctrine. Minister Healy told Sky News: "Our nuclear deterrent capability has guaranteed the UK's security for almost 70 years - that's what Putin fears most." He added that future threats will require a "firm and decisive response", including strong deterrence.

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In October last year, Lord De Molly, chairman of the House of Lords International Relations and Defense Committee, warned that "years of strategic neglect" had left British forces weakened and unprepared for increasingly serious global threats, particularly aggressive moves by Russia. The publication of the new strategic review and the possible expansion of nuclear capabilities should, as stated in the announcement of the document, send a "strong message to Moscow" and confirm Britain's "total commitment to nuclear deterrence" and to a defense policy that puts NATO first.