The United Kingdom will acquire at least 12 U.S.-made F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear weapons, Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced Tuesday during a NATO summit in The Hague.
The purchase marks the Royal Air Force’s return to a nuclear mission for the first time since retiring its air-launched atomic arsenal after the Cold War.
“In an era of radical uncertainty, we can no longer take peace for granted,” Starmer said, according to reported. “The UK’s commitment to NATO is unquestionable, as is the Alliance’s contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure, but we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come.”
Built by Lockheed Martin, the F-35A is a fifth-generation stealth fighter capable of carrying the U.S. B61-12 thermonuclear gravity bomb. The acquisition will enable the UK to resume participation in NATO’s dual-capable aircraft program — a key part of the alliance’s nuclear deterrence mission.
Starmer’s announcement aligns with NATO’s call for members to meet a new 5% of GDP defense spending benchmark — a shift long championed by President Donald Trump, who repeatedly criticized European nations for failing to meet basic security commitments.
Starmer’s office said the deal supports 20,000 UK jobs, with 15% of the global F-35 supply chain based in Britain.
The move follows tensions between the UK and Trump over U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites and calls for tougher sanctions on Russia — both of which Starmer had reportedly urged Trump to moderate. Trump’s public skepticism of NATO’s Article 5 mutual defense clause has led many European countries to invest heavily in defense and reevaluate their reliance on U.S. commitments.
Beyond the F-35 deal, the UK is also investing £15 billion ($20.4 billion) in nuclear warheads and up to 12 new submarines under the AUKUS defense pact with the United States and Australia. Those efforts are part of a broader military modernization plan outlined in the UK’s Strategic Defence Review.
The government has not disclosed the cost or timeline for delivery of the F-35As.