Documents indicate that RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk is preparing facilities to house and guard nuclear bombs, potentially marking the return of US nuclear weapons to the base 15 years after they were reportedly removed. The bombs would have an explosive power many times greater than the one dropped on Hiroshima.
The base is home to the 48th Fighter Wing, which operates F-35A Lightning II aircraft. These jets have been flight tested to carry the B61-12 thermonuclear bomb, a tactical weapon. A contract for defensive shelters for the base's 'upcoming nuclear mission' was published and then withdrawn by the US Department of Defense. Additionally, millions of dollars have been allocated for a 'surety dormitory', understood to be nuclear weapons storage.
Experts are divided on the implications. Sir Lawrence Freedman, emeritus professor at King's College London, suggested the plans might be precautionary, such as extra storage capacity. However, William Alberque, a former senior NATO official, said it was a response to Russia's actions, including nuclear forces in Belarus and threats from Vladimir Putin. Hans Kristensen of the Federation of American Scientists warned that hosting nuclear weapons makes the base a target.
The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament has protested outside the base and is investigating the legality of the construction, arguing that environmental effects of stationing nuclear weapons have been ignored. The UK and NATO maintain a policy of neither confirming nor denying the presence of nuclear weapons at any location.
