Wednesday, October 23

US ‘planning to maneuver nuclear weapons to Suffolk RAF base’

The US is reportedly planning to maneuver nuclear warheads to the UK in response to the rising menace from Russia.

Senior figures on each side of the Atlantic have referred to as for preparations to be ramped up in case of a possible conflict between NATO forces and Russia.

To reinforce the alliance, the Telegraph studies Pentagon paperwork reveal the nuclear weapons will likely be stationed at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

They are mentioned to be 3 times the energy of the Hiroshima bomb.

Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the UK’s Ministry of Defence mentioned: “It remains a longstanding UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location.”

US nuclear missiles have been final held within the UK as not too long ago as 2008, once they have been eliminated because the Cold War menace from Russia had shrunk.

The nuclear weapons that could possibly be positioned on the base are believed to be B61-12 gravity bombs, which may be deployed from fighter jets.

It’s a part of a NATO programme to “develop and upgrade nuclear sites” within the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the Telegraph studies.

An anti-nuclear protest outside RAF Lakenheath in 2016
Image:
An anti-nuclear protest outdoors RAF Lakenheath in 2016. Pic: PA

Earlier this week, General Sir Patrick Sanders, the outgoing head of the British Army, mentioned its 74,000-strong ranks must be bolstered by not less than 45,000 reservists and residents.

General Sir Richard Sherriff, ex-deputy supreme allied commander of NATO, advised Sky News the UK defence finances will not be large enough to broaden the armed forces alone.

He added it is time to “think the unthinkable” and take into account introducing conscription to prepared the nation for a possible land conflict.

“I think we need to go further and look carefully at conscription,” he mentioned.

But Downing Street moved to rule out any plans for conscription, saying that Army service will stay voluntary.

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Carlos Del Toro, the US navy secretary, has urged the UK to “reassess” the dimensions of its armed forces given “the threats that exist today”.

Downing Street defended the federal government’s spending on defence, saying Britain has been Washington’s “partner of choice” in its strikes in opposition to Houthi rebels within the Red Sea due to its “military strength”.

Content Source: information.sky.com