The Royal Air Force is buying 12 F-35A Lightning II stealth fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
The British military is expanding its nuclear strike capabilities by purchasing F-35 stealth fighter jets capable of carrying nukes, such as the B61-12 gravity bomb.
However, there are concerns about how the nuclear mission would affect the fighter jet’s stealth attributes.
In a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee, Air Chief Marshal Sir Rich Knighton told British lawmakers that “the integration of a [nuclear] standoff weapon onto that platform to ensure that we’re able to maximize the value of the stealth capability” would be important.
The F-35 has an internal weapons bay that can take a certain number and type of munitions without jeopardizing the aircraft’s stealth. The nuclear weapons in consideration by the Royal Air Force are likely to be carried in the aircraft’s external weapons bay due to size. The F-35 Lightning II would still be quite a capable aircraft even without its stealth characteristics. But sacrificing its stealth would be an important downside. A standoff nuclear weapon that could be fired from afar could be a solution to the British military’s conundrum.
“There are elements that are dependent on the US programme that we are unable to influence directly. So we are examining opportunities to use other weapon types that are already integrated,” Knighton stated.
Stealth is a combination of design, airmanship, sensors, and even special paint coats. Stealth does not make an aircraft invisible to the naked eye. Rather, stealth reduces an aircraft’s radar footprint, making it harder to detect.
“We will consider that as part of the defence investment plan alongside the Government’s commitment to increasing stockpiles and weapons,” Knighton, who is also the British military’s chief of the defense staff since September, added.
The F-35A was certified as nuclear-capable in 2024.
The British F-35 Lightning II Fleet
Thus far, the UK military is flying the “B” version of the F-35, which is designed as a Short Take-off, Vertical Landing (STOVL) aircraft. Its STOVL capabilities enable it to take off like a helicopter but fly like a fighter jet. This capability makes the F-35B eligible to operate from the Royal Navy’s two aircraft carriers, HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales, which are STOBAR (Short Take-Off Barrier Arrested Recovery) carriers and use a ramp to propel fighter jets into the air.
The UK has expressed a desire to purchase 138 F-35s over the lifetime of the programme from Lockheed Martin. Currently, however, there are 48 F-35Bs on order. In addition to the 12 F-35As, the British military will purchase an additional 15 F-35Bs for a total order of 27 aircraft. Once the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy have received the latest batch of new aircraft, the UK military will have 74 F-35s (one jet crashed in the Mediterranean Sea).
The nuclear-capable F-35s will be based at RAF Marham. The British military expects to have all 27 fighter jets by 2033.
About the Author: Stavros Atlamazoglou
Stavros Atlamazoglou is a seasoned defense journalist specializing in special operations and a Hellenic Army veteran (national service with the 575th Marine Battalion and Army HQ). He holds a BA from the Johns Hopkins University and an MA from the Johns Hopkins’ School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). His work has been featured in Business Insider, Sandboxx, and SOFREP.
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