The United Kingdom will acquire 12 F-35A fighter jets and join NATO’s Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) nuclear mission, marking a significant change in the UK’s nuclear posture and Royal Air Force capabilities.
The announcement, expected to be made by Prime Minister Keir Starmer at the NATO summit on Wednesday, outlines plans to integrate the UK into NATO’s airborne nuclear deterrence mission for the first time. This move will also reintroduce a nuclear role for the Royal Air Force, which has not fielded air-launched nuclear weapons since the Cold War.
Unlike the UK’s current fleet of short take-off and vertical landing F-35B aircraft, the new F-35As are designed for conventional runway operations and certified for NATO’s nuclear mission. The F-35A is compatible with U.S. nuclear gravity bombs currently deployed in Europe.
The procurement of 12 F-35As, rather than additional F-35Bs, is expected to result in a cost saving of up to 25% per aircraft. The aircraft will be based at RAF Marham, continuing the UK’s broader commitment to purchasing up to 138 F-35s over the life of the program.
The Ministry of Defence stated the acquisition supports around 20,000 jobs in the UK, with British industry accounting for approximately 15% of the F-35 global supply chain. Companies involved in the program include BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK, MBDA, Cobham, QinetiQ, and others, with industrial contributions spread across multiple regions.
The move follows recommendations from the UK’s Strategic Defence Review (SDR), which identified a shift in the global threat environment, including increasing nuclear risks. The review urged greater integration with NATO’s collective deterrence strategy and reaffirmed the UK’s role as the only European nation to commit its entire nuclear deterrent to NATO’s defense.
Participation in the DCA mission will place the UK among a group of NATO nations with dual-capable aircraft ready to deploy U.S. nuclear weapons in a crisis. These aircraft are maintained at varying readiness levels and are a key component of NATO’s deterrence structure, alongside strategic nuclear submarines and other forward-deployed capabilities.
The UK’s nuclear policy remains grounded in its ‘triple-lock’ commitment: maintaining a continuous at-sea deterrent, building four new Dreadnought-class submarines, and ensuring necessary upgrades to its nuclear warhead program. While reaffirming its NATO obligations, the UK government also emphasized continued support for the long-term goal of nuclear disarmament under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
This development comes alongside broader defense modernization plans, including investments of up to £15 billion this parliamentary term in the UK’s sovereign warhead program and the planned construction of up to 12 new nuclear-powered submarines.
The UK’s integration into the DCA mission reflects growing concern within NATO over nuclear force modernization by rival states, with alliance leaders emphasizing the need to adapt to emerging threats while reinforcing collective defense commitments under Article 5 of the NATO treaty.