Why Britain’s Investment in the F-35A For Nuclear Strike Roles Closely Follows Germany’s Precedent

The British Foreign Office has announced “the biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation,” confirming plans to procure “at least” 12 F-35A fifth generation fighters, with the intention to “join NATO’s dual capable nuclear mission.” The procurement “reintroduces a nuclear role for the Royal Air Force for the first time since the UK retired its sovereign air-launched nuclear weapons following the end of the Cold War,” the office elaborated. The United Kingdom had previously been the only country in the world to exclusively procure the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing capable fighter, which although being approximately 50 percent more costly than the F-35A, is not well suited to nuclear strike roles due to its much smaller weapons bays and significantly shorter range. The F-35A fleet, however, is likely to be restricted solely to a single squadron which trains for nuclear strike roles, and is expected to gain wartime access to U.S. Air Force B61-12 nuclear warheads recently stationed at RAF Lakenheath under a nuclear sharing agreement. Such nuclear sharing agreements are already in place with Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Turkey, all of which have also placed orders for the F-35A.

Commenting on the decision to procure the F-35A for nuclear strike roles, Prime Minister Keir Starmer observed: “In an era of radical uncertainty we can no longer take peace for granted, which is why my government is investing in our national security, ensuring our Armed Forces have the equipment they need and communities up and down the country reap the benefits from our defence dividend.” Previously on June 9 Minister of State for Defence Maria Eagle confirmed for the first time that F-35A procurements were expected to be made, after under the new Strategic Defence Review indicated that there be “a shift to a new mix of F35Bs and F35As.” U.S. Air Force first gained the capability to launch nuclear strikes using the F-35A in March 2024, with the Royal Netherlands Air Force following two months later in June. Although the British Armed Forces already field nuclear weapons, the arsenal is exclusively deployed on intercontinental range ballistic missiles carried by the country’s strategic nuclear submarines, leaving little flexibility in their employment and preventing their use of tactical nuclear strikes. Despite the U.S. deeply cutting planned F-35A procurements for FY2026, the long queue that has formed for the fighter class with close to 20 clients across the world, and the major shortfalls in production, mean this capability is only likely to materialise close to the mid-2030s.

The United Kingdom’s selection of the F-35A specifically to serve as a nuclear strike fighter, and despite prior strong opposition to procuring the aircraft, notably closely follows the precedent set by the German Armed Forces. Under theadministration of Chancellor Angela Merkel, calls to acquire the F-35 were strongly opposed, with the head of the German Air Force Lieutenant General Karl Mullner having been forced to resign in 2018 due to his strong support for F-35 procurements. “The German Air Force considers the F-35’s capability as the benchmark for the selection process for the Tornado replacement, and I think I have expressed myself clearly enough as to what the favourite of the air force is,” he had stated, with a primary reason for rejecting the fighter, which was widely seen as far most cost effective than European aircraft, being pressure from local industry to support the Eurofighter program. It nevertheless announced on March 14, 2022, that the F-35A had been selected for a small scale procurement of 35 aircraft, which would only replace nuclear-capable Tornado attack jets, while other Tornados would be replaced by Eurofighters.

Much like Germany, British procurement of the F-35A has long faced serious opposition domestically, despite multiple calls within the Royal Air Force to consider placing orders. No only was there a perceived need to protect the Eurofighter program, despite serious questions regarding its competitiveness, but the much greater local industrial inputs into the F-35B also meant reducing orders to procure the F-35A was expected to negatively affect local industry. Like Germany, which decided to procure the F-35A in the immediate aftermath of the outbreak of full scale hostilities in Ukraine, rising tensions in Europe are considered a primary factor leading the United Kingdom to prioritise capability over local industry, albeit similarly to only a limited extent for a nuclear strike role. While both countries would field much more capable fleets if they invested more fully in larger scale F-35A procurements, with the fighter near unanimously considered to be overwhelmingly more capable and cost effective than the Eurofighter, and significantly moreso than the F-35B, both have made an exception to their opposition to the F-35A exclusively to procure it for the nuclear mission. As the discrepancy between the capabilities of the F-35A and the Eurofighter continue to grow, however, and as European stealth fighter programs face increasingly severe issues and delays, there remains a significant possibility that both countries will come to accept a much larger role for the F-35A within their fleets.