Royal Air Force Official Says 12 F-35A Jets Bought for Training Unit

A Royal Air Force official said the United Kingdom bought its 12 F-35A fighters for the service's Operational Conversion Unit and not for their nuclear capability. The statement came July 15 at the Global Air & Space Chiefs’ Conference in London. The official added that the nuclear role supporting NATO remains a separate function from the aircraft purchase.

-owned B61-12 nuclear gravity bombs. The F-35B cannot carry those weapons because of its smaller weapons bays. ’s nuclear posture in a generation. The 12 F-35As will join 207 Squadron, the Operational Conversion Unit, at RAF Marham.

The Royal Air Force said the variant’s greater fuel capacity and lower maintenance requirements will extend training time and increase aircraft availability. The ministry said the purchase will deliver a 25 percent operating-cost saving per aircraft compared with the F-35B. The government remains committed to buying 15 additional F-35Bs and the 12 F-35As for delivery by 2033.

Forty-eight F-35Bs have been delivered so far. The ministry expects to procure 138 F-35 aircraft over the life of the program. ’s Voyager tanker fleet. The aircraft will be based at RAF Marham, where the status of underground nuclear storage vaults remains unclear.