Nuclear transports

Posted: 14th November 2024

The US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement allows for the transfer of nuclear materials, research, training, technology, and more between the two countries. These exchanges are often carried out by British C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft that fly between Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton and various air bases in the United States (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Nukewatch 2024). Between 2011 and 2016, the UK Ministry of Defence reported that 23 flights carrying defense nuclear materials were undertaken, and between January 2021 and December 2023, they reported 13 flights (Heappey 2023; Mordaunt 2016). This suggests that an average of four to five flights carrying special nuclear materials take place each year. The UK Ministry of Defence has denied requests by Nukewatch to release information about the types and quantities of nuclear materials transported by the C-17s, citing the risk of “reducing the effectiveness of the nuclear deterrent” (Norton-Taylor 2024). However, it is likely that some of the materials transported by these aircraft include tritium, highly enriched uranium, plutonium, and warhead components for Trident missiles. Protected Ministry of Defence truck convoys also transport high-security cargo between RAF Brize Norton and UK military nuclear sites like AWE Aldermaston and AWE Burghfield (Nukewatch 2020, 2021).

https://thebulletin.org/premium/2024-11/united-kingdom-nuclear-weapons-2024
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