US set to house nuclear weapons in Britain for first time in decades - at location 'targeted by Russian drones'
4 March 2025, 11:22 | Updated: 4 March 2025, 11:45
The US is set to house nuclear weapons in Britain, nearly two decades after the White House removed its last warheads.
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New satellite imagery, published as part of a report from the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), suggest that an estimated 22 disused nuclear bunkers at Suffolk's RAF Lakenheath have seen extensive renovation in recent months.
It's thought the nuclear reactivation of the airbase was made as early as 2021, with the newly-released report suggesting the fast-tracking of plans following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The FAS confirmed the documents and images “show that the United States Air Force (USAF) is re-establishing its nuclear mission on UK soil for the first time in nearly two decades”.
Rumours of re-activation follow a string of drone incidents affecting a number of air bases across the UK in November - including RAF Lakenheath.
A number of unidentified drones were spotted over three airbases in Britain, with the reports confirmed by the United States Air Force (USAF).
The bases were reportedly the target of some sort of Russian drone surveillance operation.
A number of unidentified drones were spotted across multiple sites - RAF Lakenheath and RAF Mildenhall, in Suffolk, and RAF Feltwell, with around 60 British troops deployed to investigate the incident.
A Nato document, published in 2023, adds weight to the suggestion that nuclear weapons are set to be housed at the location, as well as Pentagon procurement documents detailing a new facility at the airbase.
The FAS adds the re-activation “appears to be a direct reaction to the worsening political and military relations with Russia, resulting from its invasions of Ukraine, frequent nuclear warnings and Russian deployment of increasingly capable long-range conventional weapons”.
According to The Telegraph, the FAS confirmed a further six bunkers are being revamped at Lakenheath, with the work described as "ongoing".
The bunkers are thought to comprise of a series of protective aircraft shelters, built over underground vaults each designed to house four nuclear warheads.
The report also suggested there were “no known public indications that nuclear weapons have been deployed to Lakenheath” yet.
It added such a move could “complicate Russia’s targeting strategy”.
At the time of the drone sightings, a former security minister called for an "urgent investigation" into reports of Russian links to the drones.
Labour frontbencher Lord Coaker warned at the time that those responsible for the spate of recent illegal airborne incursions faced up to 14 years in jail under national security laws.
New evidence of the movements of three individuals with alleged links to the Kremlin at the time of the sightings now suggests a Russian state link to the drone activity, according to an investigation by the i newspaper.
