Britain will buy a dozen F-35A warplanes – all capable of carrying nuclear weapons – from the US, following criticism from Donald Trump that Nato members are not spending enough on defence.
Today, Sir Keir Starmer will tell a summit of Nato allies in The Hague that the new squadron will join an alliance mission that can be armed with US nuclear weapons.
The prime minister is expected tp say: ‘The UK’s commitment to Nato is unquestionable, as is the alliance’s contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure.
‘But we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come.’
Downing Street Biggest hailed the purchase as the ‘biggest strengthening of the UK’s nuclear posture in a generation’.
All eyes are now on Russia and China who will undoubtedly see this as an escalatory move.
The jets, a variant of the F35Bs the UK already uses, can carry conventional weapons, but can also be equipped with nuclear bombs.
Each F-35A plane costs around £60 million for the latest production lots, so a dozen could set the UK back an estimated £700 million.
The full details of the deal with the US were not immediately clear.
Sir Keir said: ‘Russia, not Ukraine, should pay the price for Putin’s barbaric and illegal war, so it is only right we use the proceeds from seized Russian assets to ensure Ukraine has the air defence it needs.’
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