UK’s ‘absurd’ nuclear-armed jet deal ‘cobbled together’ to please Trump, experts warn

The UK’s plans to buy 12 nuclear-capable fighter jets from Donald Trump’s increasingly militaristic US is “absurd” and lacks “logical consistency”, a new report says. The document, titled ‘Smoke and Mirrors: The UK’s aircraft contributions to NATO’s nuclear mission’ is being published by Nukewatch UK and Nuclear Information Service (NIS). There will be a webinar launch event at 5pm (GMT) on 11 November.

The current plan from the UK is to buy twelve F-35A Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter aircraft from the US.

NIS said:

This would add a new nuclear capability on top of our existing deployed nuclear armed submarines and at odds with the government’s obligations to international nuclear non-proliferation treaties.

And the report’s authors says this is not a capability based in actual military need:

This study highlights some of the issues the plan creates and argues that the government’s decision is based principally on providing political ‘smoke and mirrors’ to distract attention from questions relating to the US – Europe relationship within NATO rather than developing a must-have military capability”

Impressing Donald Trump

The jet deal has many factors. But far from being about defence needs, it is driven by “political considerations”. Not least, sucking up to Donald Trump.

The authors said:

In the light of US concerns that European NATO nations need to contribute more to the alliance, regularly articulated by the Trump administration, the decision is clearly intended to show that the UK is willing to meet this challenge.

UK defence secretary John Healey has tried to dress this up. In fact, the government hopes the UK will look like it’s ready to “step up and play a stronger role within NATO”.

The deal would also allow Keir Starmer to:

present himself at the NATO summit as a statesman, dealmaker, and ally to the US.

Rivalries and impressing the right-wing tabloids

Ministers hope the deal will get right-wing tabloids onside. The report warns the agreement:

shows all the hallmarks of having been cobbled together to provide a ‘quick win.’

Additionally, the authors say that adding to UK nuclear arsenals would breach “the spirit and the letter” of disarmament agreements.

The purchase lacks “consistent logic or any need”. And the notion that “further proliferation” of nukes would make us safer is “clearly absurd”.

The launch meeting will feature Peace Studies founder Professor Paul Rogers and will be available on the NIS YouTube channel afterwards. You can book a spot here.

Featured image via the Canary