UK-Based USAF Fighter Wing Brings F-35A Complement Up To Strength

Plans call for placing greater nuclear-delivery capability within easy striking range of Russia.

Sunday, April 06, 2025 at 09:04 PM ET

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U.S. Air Force F-35A Lightning II fighters assigned to the 495th Fighter Squadron from Royal Air Force based at Lakenheath, England. Credit: USAF, photo by Staff Sgt. Charles Welty

Key Takeaways:

The U.S. Air Force will achieve full F-35 fighter strength in the U.K. at RAF Lakenheath by the fall, with a second squadron becoming fully operational.
Upon completion, two F-35A squadrons are expected to have a total of 52 aircraft.
Notably, these F-35As are currently the only fifth-generation fighters capable of delivering nuclear weapons, specifically the B61-12 gravity bomb.

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The U.S. European Command (USEUCOM) is reporting that the U.S. Air Force will fill out its full complement of F-35 fighter strength in the U.K. by later this year. Two squadrons will be based at RAF Lakenheath base, bringing the forces to full strength. According to reports in Air & Space Forces magazine, in an April 3 statement to the Senate Armed Services Committee, Army Gen. Christopher G. Cavoli, commander of EUCOM, wrote, “USEUCOM established one F-35 squadron at Royal Air Force (RAF) Lakenheath in the United Kingdom, which is now fully operational. A second squadron of F-35s will be complete this summer and will achieve full operational capability this fall.”

Notably, the USAF’s F-35As are currently the only fifth-gen fighters capable of delivering nuclear weapons, specifically the 50 kiloton B61-12 gravity bomb. Units based at RAF Lakenheath include the 48^th Fighter Wing, with two F-15E squadrons and the 495^th Squadron and 493^rd Squadron, both of which operate the F-35A. In total, both F-35A squadrons are expected to have 52 aircraft available at full strength.