CND calls for urgent clarity on the status of US nuclear weapons in Britain.

With reports this week that US nuclear weapons may now be deployed in Britain, CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt wrote to the government, calling for urgent clarity on the status of US nuclear weapons in Britain.

It follows comments made last week by Jill Hruby, the (now former) Administrator of the National Nuclear Security Administration in the US, that the new B61-12 nuclear bombs “are fully forward deployed.”

This military terminology suggests that the bombs are now being delivered, or are already deployed, to NATO bases across western Europe, and possibly Britain. Since 2021, nuclear facilities at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk have been upgraded, including nuclear bomb shelters.

However, the British government has refused to provide any information about the situation, falling back on its position of ‘nuclear ambiguity’, to neither confirm nor deny the developments.

In her letter to Prime Minister Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey, CND General Secretary Sophie Bolt, said:

“It is totally unacceptable that the news of this ‘forward deployment’ has been discovered through posts on X and US department websites. As far as we are aware, there has been no announcement by government to parliament about this crucial information.

There has also been no information presented to local communities about the new security risks that they face. US nuclear weapons at RAF Lakenheath will present a major threat, not only to communities near the base, but to Britain as a whole, by putting us all on the US/NATO nuclear front line.

I urge you to make a public statement to clarify the situation at RAF Lakenheath.”

You can read Sophie’s full letter to Starmer and Healey here and CND’s press release here.

Join the vigil at RAF Lakenheath tomorrow calling for a nuclear weapons-free Lakenheath.