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As the UK Strategic Defence Review (SDR) was released, the UK government is reportedly considering a major turn from current nuclear weapons policy by introducing air-launched nuclear weapons for the first time since 1998.
The move is being cast by government officials as a response to an increasingly dangerous global security landscape, with rising concerns about Russia and a renewed emphasis on NATO interoperability. This signals a dangerous reversal on nuclear disarmament and signals that the UK is committing to a new nuclear arms race.
The review (PDF), commissioned by the government in July 2024 and led by former Labour Defence Secretary and NATO Secretary General Lord George Robertson, includes several high-profile recommendations including committing £15 billion to the UK nuclear weapons programme, and plans to construct up to 12 new conventionally armed nuclear-powered submarines as part of the AUKUS nuclear technology agreement with the US and Australia.
In a story reported in the Times, UK officials hinted at the possible acquisition of Lockheed Martin’s F-35A Lightning II aircraft which are in service in some countries because of their ability to deliver U.S. B61 nuclear gravity bombs. This would mark the first time the U.K. has pursued an air-launched nuclear option since its tactical aircraft were retired in 1998.
Though the SDR stops short of formally declaring a new deployment, it strongly suggests the U.K. should “examine the potential benefits and feasibility of enhanced UK participation in NATO’s nuclear mission”, and suggests increasing the number of fighter jets, including by purchasing nuclear capable Joint Strike Fighters (F-35A).
ICAN’s executive director Hon. Melissa Parke responded to the review saying “The UK Strategic Deterrence Review, by suggesting spending more on nuclear arms, is not actively seeking to protect UK citizens. Instead, it is increasing the chances that they will be harmed by nuclear use. At a time when former UK servicemen harmed by the UK nuclear weapons programme are still seeking acknowledgement from past harms by UK nuclear weapons, this suggestion is irresponsible and reckless.”
1/3 The UK’s Strategic Defence Review signals a dangerous shift: exploring air-delivered nuclear weapons for the first time since 1998. This move expands the arsenal and breaks with the UK’s past commitment to a single nuclear system. ➡️🔗https://t.co/DdE8roDoD2#NPT #nuclearban pic.twitter.com/1Ns5FDAHER
— ICAN (@nuclearban) June 3, 2025
The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), to which the U.K. is a depository state, commits nuclear-armed states to pursue disarmament in good faith. By expanding its nuclear delivery platforms and investing in tactical nuclear capabilities, the U.K. would undermine both the letter and spirit of that commitment.
Moreover, analysts warn that tactical nuclear weapons which some benignly describe as “lower yield” and “more flexible” are in fact much riskier as they can blur the lines between conventional and nuclear war. “But launching a nuclear bomb on the battlefield - whatever its size- is nuclear war” said a statement from CND “It risks killing thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of people.”