UK says it will buy F-35 jets capable of carrying nuclear bombs
London, Jun 25 (PTI): Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday announced that the UK will purchase 12 new F-35A fighter jets capable of carrying nuclear warheads after a government defence review warned that Britain must "actively prepare” for a direct attack on the country in a “wartime scenario”.
Starmer informed the ongoing North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) summit in The Hague of the UK’s plans to acquire the dual-capable aircraft, which can carry both nuclear and conventional weapons.
The UK said it will deploy the jets as part of NATO’s nuclear "Dual Capable Aircraft" mission in support of the alliance’s nuclear deterrence posture.
“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,” said Starmer.
“Supporting 100 businesses across the country and more than 20,000 jobs, these F35 dual-capable aircraft will herald a new era for our world-leading Royal Air Force (RAF) and deter hostile threats that threaten the UK and our Allies,” he said.
The Prime Minister reiterated that his commitment to NATO is “unquestionable… but we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come”.
UK-based firms such as BAE Systems, Cobham, GE Aviation, Honeywell, Martin Baker, MBDA, QinetiQ, Rolls Royce, Leonardo UK, Ultra Electronics and EDM Limited all play a vital role in the supply of stealth fighter jets.
The new fast jets will be based at RAF Marham, with the government expected to procure 138 F35s over the lifetime of the programme. The procurement of 12 F-35A rather than 12 F-35B as part of the next procurement package will deliver a saving of up to 25 per cent per aircraft for the taxpayer, Downing Street said.
The announcement came as Britain’s newly published national security strategy warned of the “growing” threat to the UK from nuclear weapons, adding that the “proliferation of nuclear and disruptive technology” meant the UK needed to adapt its approach to national security.
“The Strategic Defence Review recognised that the UK is confronting a new era of threat, including rising nuclear risks. It recommended that the UK further strengthen our commitment to effective deterrence and our partnership with our NATO Allies, building on our unique role as the only European power to pledge our nuclear deterrent to defend our NATO allies,” the Downing Street statement said.
The purchase of a new fleet marks the first time since the retirement of the Tornado fleet in 1998 that the UK will have a plane capable of dropping tactical nuclear weapons on the enemy.
UK Defence Secretary John Healey MP said: “The Strategic Defence Review confirmed we face new nuclear risks, with other states increasing, modernising and diversifying their nuclear arsenals. And it recommended a new UK role in our collective defence and deterrence through a NATO-first approach.
“This commitment is an embodiment of NATO first, strengthening the alliance while at the same time using defence as an engine for growth to create jobs across in the UK.”
The UK's defence review also flagged that threats from other countries were on the rise, and that the UK had been "directly threatened by hostile activities including assassination, intimidation, espionage, sabotage, cyber-attacks and other forms of democratic interference".
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NATO, others turn down US call for help in Hormuz: Trump
Washington (PTI): President Donald Trump on Tuesday said NATO and most of US' other allies have rejected his calls to help secure the Strait of Hormuz as the war with Iran entered the third week.
In a social media post, Trump asserted that Iran’s military has been “decimated” and he no longer felt the need for assistance from NATO countries or anyone else.
Last week, Trump had sought help from European nations and others who depend on oil supplies transiting from the Hormuz Strait to safeguard the critical waterway.
“The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon,” the US President said in a post on Truth Social.
Iran's attacks on Gulf nations and its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, through which a fifth of the world's oil is transported, have sparked increasing concerns of a global energy crisis and are unnerving the world economy.
“I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one-way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump said.
He said Australia, Japan and South Korea too have turned down his call for help.
“Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military – Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again,” Trump said.
He said that given the scale of recent military successes, the US no longer "need" or desires assistance from NATO countries, adding that it never relied on such support in the first place.
Speaking as President of the United States, the "most powerful" country in the world, "we do not need" help from anyone, Trump said.
The West Asia conflict began on February 28 when the US-Israeli combine conducted airstrikes on Iran.
The Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that connects the Persian Gulf to the open ocean, has effectively been shut following the US and Israel attack on Iran and Tehran's sweeping retaliation.
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi had said that from Tehran's "perspective", the strait is "open". "It is only closed to Iran's enemies, to those who carried out unjust aggression against our country and to their allies.”
Earlier in the day, a second Indian-flagged LPG tanker, Nanda Devi, reached the country after safely sailing from the war-hit Strait of Hormuz. On Monday, the first ship, Shivalik, reached Mundra port in Gujarat.
As of now, 22 Indian vessels remain on the west side and two on the east side of the strait.
Indian authorities are in constant touch with all the relevant stakeholders in the region to secure the safe passage of the remaining ships, officials said.
