According to a report by The Guardian based on leaked official documents, the US plans to upgrade its military bases in the UK for storing nuclear weapons and conducting espionage activities at a cost of over $4 billion.
The plans were presented at a military engineering conference held earlier this year and featured in documents submitted to the US Congress detailing Pentagon spending.
New shelters for nuclear weapons
According to the documents, American plans include building new shelters in Suffolk, understood to be for storing nuclear weapons, upgrading facilities to help secret units manage their operations, and modernizing a US base in Gloucestershire.
The base in Gloucestershire was used as a launching point for heavy bombardment waves against Iran earlier this year ordered by US President Donald Trump.
Contradiction with Trump’s strategy
While the plans contradict the Trump administration's strategy of reducing the US military footprint on European soil, they also raise questions about the UK continuing to host US facilities on its territory.
Trump had threatened to reduce the number of US warplanes and ships deployed across Europe but proposed no specific changes to bases in the UK.
NATO funding and spending details
The total value of the projects reaches $4.2 billion, with an additional $1.3 billion budget allocated for a "preparatory phase." A spokesperson for the Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center said part of the total amount would be covered by NATO's fund for military construction projects.
The largest expenditure item, over $1.6 billion, will go to Royal Air Force Lakenheath Base, the largest American base in the UK, which hosts 6,000 troops.
The documents also foresee $1.1 billion in funding for Mildenhall Air Base in Suffolk. Around 4,000 American troops are stationed there. During the US-Israel war against Iran this year, the base helped refuel other aircraft going to and from Iran by sending giant planes over the Mediterranean.
Secret spy base
The US is also spending $163 million on Menwith Hill Base in the Yorkshire Dales. Considered the most secretive American base in the UK, the facility is part of a network of electronic surveillance stations run by the US government that allows listening to large parts of the world, including the Middle East.
Return to the Cold War era?
The Pentagon documents show the new infrastructure is ready to house a nuclear arsenal. During the Cold War, the US stored nuclear weapons in the UK for use against the Soviet Union. Those weapons were thought to have been removed in 2008. The new facilities include reinforced shelters, advanced security measures, and accommodation units for additional personnel.
This information emerged as Turkey prepares to host a NATO summit a week later. The summit's agenda is dominated by increasing military spending and supporting arms production.
The development coincides with the defense plan of resigning UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who foresees a budget of around $400 billion by 2030 to modernize the British military within four years. It also aligns with Washington's demands that NATO allies allocate 5% of their GDP to defense by 2035. Starmer said the plan would raise military spending to 4.2% of GDP.
