UK to Acquire More U.S.-Made F-35A Lightning II Fighters to Increase Nuclear Strike Capability.

The United Kingdom has confirmed plans to acquire more U.S.-built Lockheed Martin F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, reaffirming its commitment to restoring an airborne nuclear strike capability and strengthening NATO’s deterrence posture. The decision, outlined in the Defense Investment Plan 2026 published on June 29, marks a significant expansion of the Royal Air Force’s strategic role by reintroducing a mission the UK has not maintained for decades.

While the plan does not disclose how many F-35As will be purchased, it confirms that the aircraft will support NATO’s Dual Capable Aircraft (DCA) nuclear mission, adding a flexible and survivable nuclear delivery option to the Alliance’s defense architecture. The move reinforces the UK’s contribution to collective deterrence while enhancing the Royal Air Force’s ability to operate in high-threat environments alongside allied fifth-generation air forces.

Related Topic: US to deliver 75 F-35 fighter jets to the UK by 2033 to shape Britain's future air force

A British Royal Air Force F-35B Lightning II flies during a training mission. The United Kingdom has reaffirmed its commitment to acquiring F-35A fighter aircraft and joining NATO's Dual Capable Aircraft nuclear mission under the Defense Investment Plan 2026. (Picture source: British Royal Air Force)

The UK Defense Investment Plan identifies the F-35A program as a key element of Britain's future combat air capability alongside investments in the Global Combat Air Program (GCAP), collaborative autonomous combat aircraft, integrated air and missile defense, and advanced digital command-and-control networks. The document builds on the government's announcement at the NATO Summit in June 2025, underscoring that the program remains a central component of the United Kingdom's long-term defense modernization strategy.

The decision represents the most significant change to British airborne nuclear capability in nearly three decades. Since the retirement of the WE.177 free-fall nuclear bomb in 1998, the United Kingdom has relied exclusively on the British Royal Navy's Vanguard-class ballistic missile submarines equipped with Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missiles for its national nuclear deterrent. The introduction of the F-35A will allow the British Royal Air Force to contribute once again to NATO's air-delivered nuclear deterrence while leaving the United Kingdom's independent continuous at-sea deterrent unchanged.

Unlike the F-35B Lightning II currently operated by British naval forces, the F-35A is designed for conventional runway operations and offers a greater combat radius, increased internal fuel capacity, higher payload capacity, and lower acquisition and operating costs. More importantly, the aircraft is certified to carry the U.S.-developed B61-12 tactical nuclear gravity bomb, making it the standard fifth-generation combat aircraft used by NATO allies participating in the Alliance's Dual Capable Aircraft mission.

Under NATO's nuclear sharing arrangements, participating nations maintain certified combat aircraft and trained aircrews capable of delivering U.S.-owned B61 nuclear weapons following a political decision by the Alliance. The mission strengthens NATO's deterrence by providing flexible nuclear response options while distributing delivery capability across multiple allied air forces. Current participants include Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Türkiye and the United States, with several already operating or transitioning to the F-35A.

Although the Defense Investment Plan does not specify procurement quantities, the UK Government announced in June 2025 that it would acquire 12 F-35A Lightning II aircraft for the British Royal Air Force. The same announcement also confirmed the purchase of 15 additional F-35B Lightning II aircraft. Together with the initial procurement of 48 F-35B aircraft, this will increase the UK's committed fleet to 75 aircraft, comprising 63 F-35B Lightning II fighters and 12 F-35A Lightning II fighters. The government's long-term program objective remains the acquisition of up to 138 F-35 aircraft.

The British Royal Air Force and the British Royal Navy currently operate 47 F-35B Lightning II aircraft through the integrated UK Lightning Force based at RAF Marham. The fleet provides both expeditionary land-based combat capability and carrier strike operations from the British Royal Navy's aircraft carriers HMS *Queen Elizabeth* and HMS *Prince of Wales*, giving the United Kingdom one of Europe's most advanced fifth-generation naval aviation capabilities.

Operationally, No. 617 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force serves as the front-line combat squadron equipped with the F-35B Lightning II. Pilot conversion and instructor training are conducted by No. 207 Squadron of the British Royal Air Force, the Operational Conversion Unit. Carrier-based operations are also supported by the 809 Naval Air Squadron of the British Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm, which was reformed to restore a dedicated naval fast-jet squadron for the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers. Personnel from both services are fully integrated within the UK Lightning Force, allowing aircraft and crews to operate seamlessly from land bases and aircraft carriers.

The F-35B remains the cornerstone of the United Kingdom's carrier strike capability. Its short take-off and vertical landing configuration enables operations from the Queen Elizabeth-class aircraft carriers without catapults or arresting gear while preserving the flexibility to deploy from austere expeditionary airfields. Equipped with the AN/APG-81 Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, Electro-Optical Targeting System, Distributed Aperture System, and advanced sensor fusion architecture, the aircraft combines stealth, precision strike, intelligence gathering, and network-enabled warfare capabilities within a single combat aircraft.

The F-35A will significantly expand the operational flexibility of the British Royal Air Force. Compared with the F-35B, the conventional take-off and landing variant provides greater range, longer endurance, increased maneuverability, and reduced maintenance requirements. These characteristics make it particularly suitable for long-range precision strike, suppression of enemy air defenses, strategic deep-penetration operations, and NATO's Dual Capable Aircraft mission, while improving interoperability with U.S. Air Force and European NATO F-35A operators.

The program also delivers substantial industrial benefits for the United Kingdom. British industry manufactures approximately 15 percent of every F-35 produced worldwide, with companies including BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce, Leonardo UK, and Martin-Baker supplying major structural assemblies, propulsion components, electronic systems, mission equipment, and ejection seats. This participation sustains thousands of highly skilled jobs while preserving the United Kingdom's position as the only Level 1 international partner in the Joint Strike Fighter program.

The F-35A acquisition should also be viewed in the context of the broader transformation outlined in the Defense Investment Plan 2026. Alongside Lightning modernization, the government is accelerating investment in the Global Combat Air Program, which will deliver the Tempest sixth-generation combat aircraft, collaborative autonomous combat aircraft, integrated air and missile defense capabilities, resilient digital command networks and expanded long-range precision strike systems. Related Army Recognition coverage on the Tempest program, NATO air and missile defense modernization, and future European combat aviation provides additional context on these developments.

Strategically, Britain's reaffirmation of the F-35A program extends well beyond the procurement of additional stealth combat aircraft. By restoring an airborne nuclear capability to the British Royal Air Force through NATO's Dual Capable Aircraft mission, the United Kingdom strengthens the Alliance's deterrence architecture while broadening its own range of conventional and nuclear response options. Combined with the British Royal Navy's continuous at-sea deterrent and the future capabilities expected from GCAP, the decision positions the United Kingdom to play an even more significant role in NATO's collective defense strategy as European security challenges continue to evolve.

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Written by Alain Servaes – Chief Editor, Army Recognition Group
Alain Servaes is a former infantry non-commissioned officer and the founder of Army Recognition. With over 20 years in defense journalism, he provides expert analysis on military equipment, NATO operations, and the global defense industry.