Britain could be in breach of its nuclear disarmament obligations with Labour’s plan to purchase 12 F-35A fighter jets, according to legal experts on behalf of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND). International lawyers argue that the government’s intention to reintroduce air-launched nuclear weapons for the RAF will violate a key provision of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty signed by the UK and other countries. Prof Christine Chinkin and Dr Louise Arimatsu from the London School of Economics claim that the decision to purchase F-35A fighters is because they can deliver both conventional and nuclear weapons, enabling the RAF to reacquire a nuclear role. This would reverse the UK’s long-term commitment to nuclear disarmament under the NPT. Article six of the treaty requires signatories to pursue negotiations on effective measures relating to the cessation of the nuclear arms race and nuclear disarmament. The Ministry of Defence, however, claims the investment in F-35As will improve the UK’s national security and that the country remains committed to the goal of a world without nuclear weapons. Other countries, including the US, Russia, China, are also rearming and rede
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/sep/26/uk-fighter-jets-purchase-nuclear-treaty-cnd
