GWUAN (Global Women United Against NATO) webinar
‘Nuclear weapons in Europe and the UK’
25th January 2025.
Angie Zelter’s presentation
Trident is the UK’s nuclear weapons system. It is called an “independent, minimum credible deterrent” and has a stockpile of around 225 nuclear warheads. In 2021 the UK reversed decades of gradual disarmament and announced a significant increase in its nuclear inventory, up to 260 warheads.
Trident is made up of four Vanguard-class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines, each of which has 16 missile tubes. Each missile carries up to five nuclear warheads, which are around eight times as destructive as the bomb which flattened Hiroshima. At least one of the UK’s Trident submarines is deployed at sea at all times.
The submarines are based at Faslane in Scotland and non-operational warheads at Coulport, three kilometers away. The submarines undergo deep maintenance at Devonport in Plymouth.
The UK is unique in that its nuclear program is completely intertwined with that of the US. The UK’s warhead designs are closely tied to their US counterparts and, the UK shares the Trident missiles from the US Navy pool. The UK’s nuclear deterrent relies so heavily on American nuclear infrastructure, that it cannot honestly be seen as “independent”, even though the UK can launch weapons independently.
This nuclear relationship with the US is governed by the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement, which was, controversially, amended in September 2024 so it no longer requires renewal every 10 years. The Agreement enables the transfer of nuclear materials, research, training, and technology, between the two countries, contravening the UK’s legal obligation to disarm, and enabling the US to exercise significant leverage over the UK’s foreign and defence policy.
UK and US targeting plans have been integrated for decades, and throughout the Cold War included a mix of civilian and military targets, although the UK reportedly has an independent targeting doctrine centred around the so-called “Moscow criterion,” which calls for destroying the capital, along with other important cities in Russia – all of which are contrary to International Humanitarian law.
Since 1962 the UK has made its nuclear weapons available to NATO but operates them independently—only the UK Prime Minister can authorize the use of its nuclear weapons, even if used as part of a NATO response.
There are serious problems with the UK’s nuclear infrastructure and it is extremely costly. Each boat in the Vanguard fleet is way past its planned service life of 25 years. This has resulted in serious reliability problems and extensive delays for maintenance. Delays cause increased patrol lengths for the submarines, with serious negative impacts on crew members, and even more lengthy maintenance requirements needed on its return.
To replace the ageing Vanguard subs, the UK is building new Dreadnaught-class submarines and developing a new nuclear warhead. These are meant to come into service in the early 2030’s. Increasing budgets and deficient management have led to major budget over-runs of billions of pounds.
Another major problem is that the majority of Scottish people do not want nuclear weapons stored and deployed in their country. Should Scotland ever achieve independence, the costs and logistics involved with relocating somewhere else in the UK would be prohibitive.
On top of our UK nuclear weapons we now have changes in the status of US nuclear weapons here. US nuclear ballistic missile submarines, whilst not being based in the UK, have nevertheless resumed occasional visits to UK ports since 2015, when the USS Wyoming docked in Faslane in response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and annexation of Crimea.
And although the US withdrew the last of its nuclear weapons from RAF Lakenheath prior to 2008, marking the first time since 1945 that there were no US nuclear weapons in the UK, we now know that they are coming back to the UK.
US documents talk of the construction of a “surety dormitory” at RAF Lakenheath. The term “surety” refers to the safety and security of nuclear weapons. The 495th Fighter Squadron of the 48th Fighter Wing at Lakenheath became the first squadron in Europe equipped with the new nuclear-capable F-35A Lightning II, certified to carry the new B61–12 nuclear gravity bomb. And recent satellite images indicate that 22 of the nuclear shelters, or vaults, at Lakenheath are being reactivated to receive these bombs. Announcements also tell us that the F-35A fighter jet maintenance and repair facilities at the base have now been completed. Recent announcements of full forward deployment means the nuclear bombs are now likely to have already been delivered.
So we know definitely that Lakenheath will be central to
NATO nuclear escalation.
The peace movement has not been idle. CND has organised demonstrations, and the direct action campaign, the Lakenheath Alliance for Peace, has formed and is composed of 47 different peace, justice and environment organisations. We are showing resistance and public abhorrence at the nuclear escalation and the forever wars that are bringing death and destruction, environmental degradation, and impoverishment to countless millions across the planet.
RAF Lakenheath is in reality USAF Lakenheath and is the largest US airbase in Europe. It is assigned to United States Air Forces in Europe and Africa. Its Air Force units maintain combat-ready wings that are pledged to NATO, which plans, conducts, coordinates and supports air and space operations in Europe, parts of Asia and all of Africa with the exception of Egypt.
Over the past two decades, warplanes based at USAF Lakenheath have led devastating conventional missions in Kuwait, Iraq, Afghanistan, Serbia, Libya, Syria, the Middle East and East Africa.
USAF Lakenheath is a threat to us all. But with nuclear weapons coming back, under the control of President Trump, it becomes even more dangerous.
The return of US nuclear weapons to Britain, would represent a major provocation at a time of escalating tensions between NATO and Russia, and in the world more generally.
Additionally, Lakenheath has been involved in supporting Israel, making us complicit in war crimes and genocide. After the Hamas attacks on the 7 October 2023, F-15Es from Lakenheath landed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, a major US base in Jordan, on the 13th October to bolster US presence in the region1. Since then it has provided ongoing support to Israel in its military attacks on Lebanon, Syria and Yemen.
Go to LAP’s website for more detailed information about the wars and conflicts in which Lakenheath has been involved, as well as the joint exercises with NATO.
It is insane to be bringing US nuclear weapons back into the UK and continuing to be a member of the nuclear NATO alliance when every nation in the world should be cooperating to stop runaway climate change and its consequences which threaten all life on this planet. This is why the Lakenheath Alliance is committed to nonviolent direct action for a peaceful and non-threatening world and needs your support.
LAP launched last year with a peace walk from Norwich to Lakenheath where we set up a camp. Now we are getting ready for April this year with a 2 week international peace camp, starting on the 14th April. We will maintain a night and day vigil at the gates over the full 2 weeks. We are joining forces with climate, justice and biodiversity movements, with different event days planned throughout the two weeks, focusing on particular issues. There will be an International Peace Conference on Thursday 24th April, entitled – Analysing and Resisting US Nuclear Expansion. And we will end with a big blockade of the base on Saturday 26th April. We will be joined by internationals experiencing similar problems to us.
For the full programme, please visit our website. And please come and support us and stay for however long you are able. All are welcome.
F-15s Land in Middle East as Austin Visits Israel and Touts ‘Augmented’ USAF Presence; Air And Space Forces; 13 October 2023 (https://www.airandspaceforces.com/f-15s-middle-east-usaf-hamas-israel-war/) and Twitter( Roughly 24 F-15E Strike Eagles with the 494th Fighter Squadron of the U.S. Air Force stationed at RAF Lakenheath in the U.K. have arrived at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan to Bolster the U.S. Posture and Enhance Air Operations throughout the Middle East.); OSINTdefender; 14 October 2023 (https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1713015922221330505?s=20) ↩︎
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