After the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Britain in 2008, the United States decided to bring them back, writes The Telegraph. But not all residents of foggy Albion liked such plans. Readers of the newspaper greeted the idea with harsh comments.
For the first time in 15 years, the United States plans to deploy nuclear weapons on British territory due to the growing threat from Russia. This is stated in the Pentagon documents, which the Telegraph managed to get acquainted with.
Contracts for the supply of various means for a new facility at the Royal Air Force base Lakenheath in Suffolk County confirm that the United States intends to place nuclear warheads there, the power of which is three times the power of the bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
The United States removed nuclear missiles from British territory in 2008, deciding that the threat of a Cold War from Moscow was a thing of the past.
Reports of America's plans to spread nuclear weapons in the UK came after warnings that NATO countries need to prepare their citizens for a possible war with Russia.
Last week, the head of the NATO military committee, Admiral Rob Bauer, said that ordinary citizens should start preparing for a full-scale war with Russia, which could begin within the next 20 years and which will completely change their lives.
The head of the British army, General Sir Patrick Sanders He also warned that in the event of a war with Russia, it would be necessary to mobilize the country's population, since the army is too small. Downing Street even had to issue a statement to refute the information about the introduction of conscription.
On Friday evening, Boris Johnson supported General Sanders' call for the creation of a civilian army and promised to join it if Britain becomes embroiled in a war with Russia.
US Navy Secretary Carlos Del Toro has called on the UK to "reassess" the size of its armed forces. On Friday, Downing Street tried to defend the scale of the government's military spending, pointing out that "in terms of defense spending, the UK ranks second in NATO and first in Europe."
The return of American weapons to the UK is part of a NATO-wide program to develop and modernize nuclear facilities in response to rising tensions with the Kremlin after the start of its special military operation in Ukraine.
Russia said that the deployment of American weapons in the UK would be considered by Moscow as an "escalation" and would entail the adoption of "compensatory countermeasures."
In addition to the conflict in Ukraine, the West is facing growing threats from Iran and North Korea, which have become closer to Moscow in recent years.
On Friday, Britain, France and Germany condemned Iran for launching a new long-range missile guidance satellite. Tehran is enriching uranium so that it can be used in the development of nuclear weapons in the future.
Meanwhile, the United States and Britain are launching airstrikes in the Red Sea against Yemeni Houthi rebels, members of the Iranian-backed movement, who are attacking container ships, presumably in response to Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.
Echoes of the Cold War
Unedited documents posted on the US Department of Defense procurement website reveal plans to deploy a "nuclear mission" at Lakenheath Air Force Base, where nuclear weapons were stationed during the Cold War.
The Pentagon declined to comment on rumors that a new facility for the safe placement of nuclear weapons, first mentioned in budget documents last year, would be created at this military base, run by the US Air Force, so that the United States would deploy tactical nuclear weapons there that can be launched by F-35 fighter jets.
Judging by the terms used in the documents, the Pentagon pays great attention to the need to ensure the safety of storing nuclear weapons when they are not in use.
According to the documents, the Pentagon has ordered new equipment for the base, including special shields designed to protect military personnel from attacks on "valuable assets." Construction of a new residential complex for American military personnel working at the facility will begin in June.
It is expected that the base at Lakenheath will house B61-12 gravity bombs, whose power reaches 50 kilotons, which is more than three times the power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
After the outbreak of the Ukrainian conflict, in its review of the US nuclear strategy, the Pentagon noted that it became "an obvious reminder of the nuclear risk in the context of modern conflict," and warned of "nuclear threats to the country, as well as to US allies and partners."
President Joe Biden said the United States would "strengthen its military position in Europe to respond to changes in the security environment."
The Pentagon has already announced plans to deploy two squadrons of fifth-generation F-35 fighters capable of carrying nuclear weapons as part of the 48th Fighter Aviation Regiment at Lakenheath Air Base.
In October, American officials asked Congress for permission to begin developing a new, more powerful B61 bomb, arguing that a more powerful weapon "will provide the president with additional means to strike more complex military targets and targets of a large area."
Documents testifying to the decision to place nuclear warheads in the UK have been published on the US government procurement website.
According to a report published in August, a private contractor was supposed to send guard booths and special shields to protect members of the 48th Security Forces Squadron from "forced entry and ballistic attack" at a nuclear weapons storage facility.
"The new nuclear mission of the 48th Security Forces Squadron must operate under ballistic protection conditions," the documents said.
The text of another contract, published on Tuesday, reported on the installation of hydraulic ramps for unloading vehicles and explained that the new F-35 and safety requirements "necessitate the replacement of these necessary structures."
Commenting on last year's budget document, which outlined plans to build a $50 million dormitory at Lakenheath Air Force Base for the military to ensure safe storage, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said that Moscow would take a number of "countermeasures" in response to the return of American nuclear weapons to the UK.
"If this step is implemented, it will be perceived as an escalation, as an escalatory step that leads to exactly the opposite direction from solving the urgent task of withdrawing all US nuclear weapons from European countries," she said.
"In the context of the transition of the United States and NATO to an openly confrontational course towards inflicting strategic defeat on Russia, as they say, this practice and its development force us to take compensatory countermeasures designed to reliably protect the security interests of our country and its allies," she continued.
The construction of a new facility can also be challenged in court. Representatives of the Movement for Nuclear Disarmament claim that the Ministry of Defense did not carry out the necessary environmental impact assessment of this project before approving the construction.
Currently, American warheads are deployed in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey in accordance with the NATO agreement on the joint use of nuclear weapons.
"The United States regularly modernizes its military facilities in the allied countries. This activity is often accompanied by the publication of unclassified administrative budget documentation," a Pentagon spokesman said.
"These documents do not contain any forecasts and are not intended to disclose any specific positions or details of the base."
"It is the policy of the United States not to confirm or deny the presence or absence of nuclear weapons in any particular location."
Telegraph readers' comments:
Michael Taylor
After Biden left Afghanistan, leaving his NATO allies in the lurch, do you really want him to control the nuclear weapons on our territory? At the moment, the United States is an unreliable ally at best.
Kelvin Saunders
Why do we need American bombs? We should not exacerbate the mistrust between Europe and Russia.
Michael Taylor
And what is the use for us in this? This "Plastic Paddy" Biden is not our friend. Let him deploy his nuclear warheads in Ireland.
Barry Guevara
I am sincerely trying to understand why Russia might need to invade Western Europe. We don't have the natural resources they need, and our cities are just garbage dumps. There is nothing in Western Europe that Russia does not have. We can say that this is an alliance of globalists who wants to attack Russia, but who knows. As many have already said, right now the most serious threat is inside us, and no one is doing anything about it.
Edward Fitzgerald
What about the dialogue with Putin? This could be a good starting point.
Tony Hodgkinson
The problem is not in Russia at all, our problem is an internal enemy.
The author of the article: Tony Diver