The UK’s deliberate air-launched nuclear functionality for its F-35A Lightning II plane will depend on US-controlled weapons beneath NATO’s nuclear sharing preparations, the Ministry of Defence confirmed.
Responding to a parliamentary query from Conservative MP Mike Wooden, Minister of State for Defence Luke Pollard reiterated that the nuclear weapons assigned to NATO’s twin succesful plane mission are United States belongings and stay beneath US management and custody.
“As confirmed when the Ministry of Defence introduced our intention to take part in NATO’s nuclear mission, the nuclear weapons allotted to the NATO twin succesful plane nuclear mission are United States nuclear weapons and the US retains management and custody over them, because the UK does with its personal nuclear weapons,” Pollard stated in his written response.
He added that any potential UK participation within the NATO mission could be topic to political authorisation.
“The NATO DCA nuclear mission would function beneath the orders of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, when authorised by NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group, by way of which Allies train political management over the mission,” he said. “The UK would all the time retain the suitable to take part, or not take part, in response to a political resolution by the UK Prime Minister.”