Question to the Ministry of Defence:

To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, who will (a) procure and (b) own the nuclear weapons to be deployed on the F35-A fighter jets; and whether permission will be required from (i) NATO and (ii) the USA to (A) deploy and (B) launch them.

As confirmed when the Ministry of Defence announced our intention to participate in NATO’s nuclear mission, the nuclear weapons allocated to the NATO dual capable aircraft (DCA) nuclear mission are United States (US) nuclear weapons and the US retains control and custody over them, as the UK does with its own nuclear weapons.

The NATO DCA nuclear mission would operate under the orders of NATO’s Supreme Allied Commander Europe, when authorised by NATO’s Nuclear Planning Group, through which Allies exercise political control over the mission. The UK would always retain the right to participate, or not participate, according to a political decision by the UK Prime Minister.