Latest news with #C-17GlobemasterIII
Newsweek
22-07-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
US Nuclear Weapons 'Deployed' to UK for First Time in 17 Years
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The United States military has moved nuclear weapons to British soil for the first time in close to two decades, new analysis indicates. Open-source analysts identified an aircraft taking off from the Kirtland Air Force Base in Albuquerque, New Mexico, bound for the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force (RAF) base at Lakenheath, in the east of England. Kirtland Air Force Base is the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force (USAF) Nuclear Weapons Center, a main storage site for nuclear weapons. A U.S. defense official told Newsweek the U.S. did not comment on the "status or location of strategic weapons." A spokesperson for the British Defense Ministry said: "It remains a long-standing UK and NATO policy to neither confirm nor deny the presence of nuclear weapons at a given location." Why It Matters Speculation has long surrounded whether the East England RAF base could once again host U.S. nuclear weapons. RAF Lakenheath hosted American nuclear weapons for several decades until 2008. The Federation of American Scientists (FAS) said in 2023 that U.S. military budget documents "strongly" implied the Air Force intended to re-establish its nuclear weapons mission in the U.K. RAF Lakenheath—the home of the 48th Fighter Wing, dubbed "Liberty Wing"—has been upgraded in recent years. If Washington moves nuclear weapons back into the U.K., "it would break with decades of policy and planning and reverse the southern focus of the European nuclear deployment that emerged after the end of the Cold War," the FAS said in updated analysis earlier this year. A USAF C-17 Globemaster III from the 97th Air Mobility Wing participates in the Miami Beach Air and Sea Show on May 25, 2024. A USAF C-17 Globemaster III from the 97th Air Mobility Wing participates in the Miami Beach Air and Sea Show on May 25, 2024. AP/NewsBase What To Know Flight tracking data shows that a USAF C-17 cargo plane departed from Albuquerque for a flight of just over 10 hours to Lakenheath on July 16 and left the U.K. two days later. "It looks like it went to England, dropped off those weapons and then it went back to regular operations in the U.S.," William Alberque, a former head of NATO's nuclear non-proliferation center, told Britain's The Times. The U.K. government announced last month it would buy at least 12 F-35A fifth-generation aircraft, which, unlike the F-35B jets the country's RAF already operates, are certified to carry nuclear weapons. The jets will be stationed at RAF Marham, a base north of Lakenheath. The purchase "reintroduces a nuclear role for the Royal Air Force for the first time since the UK retired its sovereign air-launched nuclear weapons following the end of the Cold War," the British government said in a statement. The U.K. has Trident, its own nuclear weapons program made up of four Vanguard-class submarines able to fire nuclear missiles. The U.S. has both strategic and nonstrategic nuclear weapons. Nonstrategic nuclear weapons, which in the U.S. case are variants of the B61 gravity bomb, are also known as tactical nuclear weapons. The U.S. announced at the start of the year that it had completed a long-running program to upgrade the B61 to the B61-12. Strategic nuclear weapons are deployed on intercontinental ballistic missiles, submarine-launched ballistic missiles, and those fired from bomber aircraft. They are thought of as the missiles that could level entire cities and threaten major global superpowers. Unlike strategic weapons, tactical nuclear weapons are designed for use on the battlefield or in what is known as a specific theater. They have a smaller yield and are designed to be used against different targets than strategic nuclear weapons, which are limited under the New START Treaty that is due to expire in 2026. The U.S. has an estimated 200 tactical nuclear weapons, with roughly half deployed at European bases. The U.S. is believed to have around 100 tactical bombs deployed in five NATO countries on the continent, including in Turkey, Germany and Belgium. What People Are Saying Sidharth Kaushal, a senior research fellow with the British think tank, the Royal United Services Institute, told The Times that the C-17 flight "could be the transport of B61s for potential use on RAF F-35As in due course. Kaushal added, "It represents a move towards the use of tactical nuclear weapons. It reintroduces a bit of flexibility in terms of how nuclear weapons are used."
India.com
06-07-2025
- General
- India.com
Dismantling a Beast: UK Wrestles with F-35B's Complexity on Foreign Soil in Kerala
UK's lethal F-35B fighter jet stranded in Kerala A British Royal Navy F-35B stealth fighter jet, stranded at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport since June 14, 2025, is now set to be dismantled and flown back to the United Kingdom. The jet, grounded by an unresolved hydraulic failure, cannot be repaired locally due to its complex systems and the absence of F-35 maintenance infrastructure in India. A C-17 Globemaster III military aircraft will likely transport the disassembled jet to the UK for restoration. Why the Jet Must Be Moved Efforts to fix the jet's critical hydraulic system in India proved unsuccessful. The F-35B's advanced design includes classified technologies like radar-absorbing coatings, encrypted software, and AI-based combat systems—requiring tools and expertise available only at select certified locations. India does not operate the F-35, and no repair base exists in the region. Beyond technical hurdles, national security concerns make it risky to leave the jet parked at a civilian airport. The aircraft is part of the HMS Prince of Wales Carrier Strike Group, and its prolonged absence weakens the UK's operational readiness. Transporting it back is the only viable and secure option. UK Sends a Specialized Team On July 6, a Royal Air Force A400M Atlas brought in a 25–40 member team of engineers and Lockheed Martin-certified technicians to Thiruvananthapuram. The team brought specialized tools and a tow vehicle, starting with an inspection to assess whether repairs could be done on-site. Once confirmed unrepairable, the dismantling process began. Moving to a Safer Location Initially, the F-35B was parked in the open at Bay 4 of the airport under CISF security. The UK declined to move it to a hangar due to concerns over exposure of sensitive systems in a non-NATO country. However, with India's assurances and growing urgency, the jet was shifted to a secure Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility where the environment is controlled and access is tightly restricted. The Dismantling Process Removing the jet's wings, tail fins, and stabilizers is essential to fit it inside the C-17's cargo bay, which is 26 meters long but only about 4 meters wide. The F-35B has a wingspan of nearly 10.7 meters, making disassembly the only option. This process is far from simple. Every screw, bolt, and panel is security-coded and logged to prevent tampering or unauthorized access. Only Lockheed Martin-trained engineers are allowed to perform these tasks. The dismantled components are carefully packed to avoid damage to the stealth coatings or internal systems. The jet's fuselage is then compacted and prepared for loading as a single unit, taking care to protect the aircraft's sensitive sensors and onboard electronics. Airlift to the UK Once dismantled, the aircraft will be loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III—one of the few transport aircraft capable of handling such a load. Technicians will supervise the process to ensure that the jet's frame and sensitive systems remain intact. The aircraft will likely be flown to RAF Marham in the UK, where full-scale repair facilities for the F-35 are located. Once there, it will be reassembled and thoroughly tested before rejoining active service aboard HMS Prince of Wales . Security and Diplomatic Coordination Throughout the dismantling and transport operation, UK Royal Air Force personnel and naval officers are maintaining strict security. They are working in coordination with Indian CISF forces to prevent any technology leaks or unauthorized access. The UK government has also committed to settling all dues, including parking and hangar charges, with Indian authorities. The diplomatic coordination between the two nations has been smooth, despite early hesitation regarding the hangar shift. Challenges Faced The operation has not been without complications: Security Sensitivities : Concerns over espionage led to initial delays in moving the aircraft to a hangar. : Concerns over espionage led to initial delays in moving the aircraft to a hangar. Weather Conditions : Exposure to Kerala's heavy monsoon rains added further urgency and risk to the already delicate dismantling process. : Exposure to Kerala's heavy monsoon rains added further urgency and risk to the already delicate dismantling process. Public Curiosity: The jet's unexpected stay captured widespread attention, sparking social media memes and even a cheeky post from Kerala Tourism. Past Examples This is not the first time an F-35 has had to be dismantled. In 2019, the US Air Force removed the wings of an F-35A for transport from Florida to Utah. Similarly, in 2022, South Korea transported a belly-landed F-35A by road after removing its wings. These precedents show that such operations are technically feasible and already tested. Why On-Site Repairs Weren't Possible The hydraulic failure affecting this particular jet requires diagnostic equipment, spares, and expertise not available in India. As India doesn't operate any F-35s, it lacks the maintenance infrastructure needed for even minor repairs. Returning the jet to the UK is the only way to ensure it is properly restored and returned to duty. Conclusion The mission to dismantle and fly back the UK's F-35B from India is more than just a technical exercise—it is a symbol of careful international coordination, the importance of protecting advanced defense technologies, and the logistical precision required to handle one of the world's most advanced fighter jets. Once it takes to the skies again from British soil, the F-35B will carry with it a fascinating chapter from Kerala that blended diplomacy, engineering, and a touch of global intrigue. —— E.O.M ( Girish Linganna is an award-winning science communicator and a Defence, Aerospace & Geopolitical Analyst. He is the Managing Director of ADD Engineering Components India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of ADD Engineering GmbH, Germany. Contact: girishlinganna@ )
Yahoo
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Iran Fires Missiles at U.S. Base in Qatar
A C-17 Globemaster III sits at Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar on Nov. 11, 2022. Credit - U.S. Air Force/Airman 1st Class Andrew Britten/AP Iran retaliated against the U.S. on Monday, launching missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar, according to a U.S. defense official and a statement from the Qatar foreign ministry. The missiles targeted Al Udeid Air Base outside Doha and were intercepted by air defenses before they could strike the base, the Qatari government said. "At this time, there are no reports of U.S. casualties" from the barrage of short-range and medium-range ballistic missiles fired by Iran, the U.S. defense official said. Thousands of U.S. service members are stationed at Al-Udeid Air Base, an important American military outpost on the Persian Gulf. After an American bombing raid on Saturday hit three nuclear program sites inside Iran, Iranian officials promised to strike back. The Iranian missile attack comes after the State Department on Monday told U.S. citizens living in Qatar to shelter in place. On Sunday, the State Department had warned all American travelers worldwide to exercise "increased caution." The U.S. embassy in Baghdad ordered additional personnel to leave Iraq over the weekend and issued a security alert warning Americans in Iraq of an "increased potential for foreign terrorist organization-inspired violence or attacks against U.S. businesses and locations frequented by U.S. citizens." Authorities inside the U.S. are also on alert for potential violence in the wake of the U.S. strikes on Iran. A Department of Homeland Security advisory issued an advisory on Sunday that the 'ongoing Iran conflict is causing a heightened threat environment in the United States.' Ahead of the attack on Qatar on Monday, Iran's mission to the United Nations posted on X that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was 'dragging the United States into yet another costly war' and the U.S. had 'recklessly chosen to sacrifice its own security merely to safeguard Netanyahu.' President Trump is scheduled to meet with senior national security officials Monday at the White House. 'The White House and the Department of Defense are aware of, and closely monitoring, potential threats to Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar,' a senior White House official told TIME. Contact us at letters@
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Boeing In Talks To Restart C-17 Production
Two decades after the last example rolled off the production line, Boeing says it's in negotiations with at least one customer to build more C-17 Globemaster III airlifters. The development comes as countries around the world look to boost their armed forces' capabilities, and with no immediate successor to the C-17 waiting in the wings. Turbo Sjogren, VP and general manager of Boeing Global Services-Government Services, confirmed to Shephard Defense at the Paris Air Show today that 'early infancy' talks were underway with one country, with a view to a potential C-17 production restart.'It is a very extraordinary effort to do,' Sjogren told the same publication, noting that it was 'reflective of the utility of the aircraft.' He added that interest in new-build C-17s was being expressed by several other countries, too. None of those countries was named, but TWZ has approached Boeing for more details. The nations involved may or may not be drawn from the C-17's existing customer base. As well as the U.S. Air Force, its biggest operator, the C-17 is flown by Australia, Canada, India, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. Finally, NATO's multinational Strategic Airlift Capability Heavy Airlift Wing also operates C-17s. One potentially new customer for the C-17 is Japan. Earlier this year, Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba disclosed an interest in buying C-17. Previously, we speculated that any such aircraft for Japan would have to be transferred from the U.S. Air Force or from the inventory of an allied operator. If a new production line were to open, that would change things entirely. Certainly, a continued demand for the C-17 is understandable among both established operators and potential new customers. Outside of China and Russia, there is no real equivalent to the C-17, with many countries instead turning to the Airbus A400M or the Embraer C-390 Millennium for their airlift needs, which offer a very different set of capabilities. The A400M was originally marketed as a gap-filler between the C-130 Hercules at one end and the C-17 at the other. Meanwhile, the C-390 has often been described, in loose terms, as a jet-powered C-130. The C-17 can transport 100,000 pounds of cargo more than 4,500 nautical miles. It can make high-angle, steep approaches at relatively slow speeds, allowing it to operate into small, austere airfields and onto runways as short as 3,500 feet long and just 90 feet wide. While it has tactical capabilities, it's equally adept as a long-range, heavy-lift strategic transport. Unlike the A400M, the C-17 can lift everything up to an M1 Abrams main battle tank, so its outsized load-carrying capabilities are impressive and useful. The A400M, in contrast, is much more of a tactical transport that offers certain strategic capabilities. It can carry 30,000 pounds of cargo over 2,400 nautical miles, and it can also operate from unprepared or semi-prepared strips. Clearly, the A400M isn't a direct replacement for the C-17, but at the same time, Boeing says it has no planned replacement for the Globemaster III. But bringing the C-17 back into production, whatever the demand, will not be straightforward. Back in 2018, we reported on how Boeing had put the Long Beach, California, facilities where it built the C-17 up for sale. This appeared to bring a definitive end to C-17 production, as well as Boeing's serial manufacture of military aircraft in Southern California. But even at that time, there was a question about whether emerging U.S. Air Force demands might make a restart an attractive idea. Specifically, the U.S. Air Force was, back then, looking to add three C-17 squadrons as part of a larger push to drastically expand the size of its force and to enhance its ability to move personnel and materiel across the globe. Those plans fell by the wayside, but the C-17 aspiration seemed something of a non-starter at that time. When it was active, Boeing's Long Beach facility, comprising a nearly four-million-square-foot plot of land adjacent to Long Beach Airport, produced 279 C-17s for the U.S. Air Force and foreign customers. McDonnell Douglas had developed and first started production of the C-17 at the site in 1991. Boeing bought that firm in 1997, taking over the Globemaster III program and the production facilities in the process. Though Boeing still provides C-17-related maintenance and other services in Southern California, the production facilities at Long Beach have been idle since the last Globemaster III left the plant in 2015. Even before that, in 2013, the RAND Corporation conducted a detailed analysis of what it might cost to reboot C-17 production after a multi-year pause. The figure was close to $8 billion to support the production of up to 150 new derivatives with improved fuel efficiency. RAND assumed that Boeing would build those aircraft somewhere else rather than in Long Beach. We have also reached out to Boeing today to get a better idea of what it would now take to start building C-17s again. A production restart could perhaps also be aligned with Boeing's Integrated Sustainment Program (GISP), which provides modernization and support to the existing C-17 fleet. If a new production run proved to be feasible, Boeing would likely look again at an updated configuration, which would be a more capable and efficient subtype. Some of these improvements might also be relevant for upgrades of C-17s built in the original series. In the longer term, the U.S. Air Force has been eyeing more exotic airlift capabilities, like blended-wing-body (BWB) designs. While there are still many unknowns about the kinds of capabilities and platforms that the service will need in the future, one thing that seems to be central, at least at this stage, is the requirement for a much greater degree of survivability compared to legacy airlift platforms. A revamped C-17 would not deliver on that front. On the other hand, the requirement to replace the C-5 Galaxy and C-17 fleets is becoming increasingly urgent. The program to field new U.S. Air Force airlift capabilities is still at an early stage and it's unclear if it will be pursued under the (currently still unofficial) Next-Generation Airlift (NGAL) name, or if it will be reconfigured under the name Next-Generation Airlift System, to better represent that fact that it will involve a family of different platforms and capabilities. Regardless, the service doesn't have much time to stand up and deliver on an entirely new strategic airlifter or family of strategic airlifters. Absolutely critical to the fate of the U.S. Air Force C-17 fleet is the fact that these vital aircraft are being tasked at a far higher rate than planned. Major contingencies all over the world, from Afghanistan to Ukraine, in particular, have put many extra hours on these airframes. A potential future contingency in the Pacific would see the fleet taxed even harder and possibly over a longer period of time. Some argue that more C-17 capacity is needed just to fight that conflict in the distributed manner the Pentagon wants. On top of this, promising new capabilities are giving C-17s the ability to execute kinetic roles via standoff weapons delivery, which could be a great way to take some pressure off the bomber force. At the same time, the question of where the capacity to actually execute that mission would come from during a time when aerial logistics would be pushed to the max isn't clear. Hence why the call for more C-17s, or something that is similarly capable, is growing louder. With all this in mind, the U.S. Air Force might well welcome the opportunity to buy additional C-17s, if it can find the funds to do so, even if only as a gap-filler. In fact, depending on the level of foreign interest in new-build C-17s, an order from the Pentagon may well be critical in order to get any production restart off the ground. At this point, it remains very questionable whether restarting C-17 production is possible, let alone economical. On the other hand, there's little doubt that customers looking for an airlifter that's able to land on an unimproved airstrip in the middle of nowhere or carry an Abrams main battle tank have very few realistic options at this point in time. Contact the author: thomas@
Time of India
17-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Four heavy US bombers stationed at key Indian Ocean base
Four US Stratofortress bombers are currently stationed at the Diego Garcia base in the Indian Ocean, according to an AFP analysis of satellite imagery, as the conflict between Israel and Iran extended to its fifth straight day. The base, leased to the United States by Britain, is one of its key military facilities in the Asia-Pacific region, and was used as a hub for long-range bombers and ships during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. The four B52H Stratofortresses, which can carry nuclear weapons or other precision-guided munitions, were spotted on a southern tarmac at Diego Garcia on Monday at 0922 GMT. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Average Cost To Rent A Private Jet May Surprise You (View Prices) Private Jet I Search Ads Learn More Undo Images provided by Planet Labs indicate they arrived in mid-May. A C-17 Globemaster III troop and cargo transport plane is also at the base, according to the AFP analysis, as well as six jets likely to be KC-135 airborne refuelling tanker. Live Events The Pentagon said Monday that it was sending "additional capabilities" to the Middle East amid an escalation of the Iran-Israel conflict, while the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz cancelled a Vietnam visit to head toward the Indian Ocean according to Marine Traffic, a ship-tracking site. Washington has also redeployed around 30 refuelling planes toward bases in Europe.
