The Starmer government has officially announced the decision to purchase one squadron of 12 F-35A fighter jets, which will complement the existing fleet of F-35Bs. This move is primarily driven by the aircraft’s nuclear capability (DCA – Dual Capable Aircraft), as the F-35A variant—unlike the F-35B—is certified to carry and deploy U.S.-made B61-12 nuclear bombs.

These nuclear bombs remain under U.S. control and are subject to NATO’s “dual key” system, as is the case for those deployed in Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Turkey. The last such weapons in the UK were withdrawn from RAF Marham (Norfolk) in 2008. The new F-35As will be based at Marham.

Operating two different F-35 variants entails significant costs, as the level of commonality between the A and B models is more limited than it might initially appear. On the other hand, the unit cost of an F-35A is about 20–25% lower than that of the F-35B. The UK government has reiterated its goal of acquiring a total of 138 F-35s, though no clear breakdown between variants has been provided. So far, 42 aircraft have been delivered, all of the F-35B variant, with earlier projections fluctuating between 60 and 80 jets.

The addition of the F-35A will enhance NATO’s nuclear deterrence flexibility, while the UK’s own national nuclear deterrent will continue to rely on submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), albeit with new warheads to be developed domestically rather than in the United States. The last British air-delivered nuclear bombs, the WE-177, were retired from service in 1998.

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