Published on 6/30/2026
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Last updated: 7/1/2026 00:07 (Mecca time)
The British Guardian newspaper revealed in official confidential documents American plans to develop military bases to store nuclear weapons and other spy bases in the United Kingdom at a cost of more than $4 billion.
According to what the newspaper reported, American modernization plans were presented at a military engineering conference earlier this year, and through documents submitted to the US Congress detailing the Pentagon’s expenditures.
f Reviving the partnership
These plans highlight the expanding presence of the American military and security establishment in the United Kingdom, where more than 12,000 American military personnel are deployed around at least 15 bases and facilities.
According to what was published by the Guardian – citing official documents – the American plans mainly include:
- Building new bunkers in Suffolk, which will apparently be used to store nuclear weapons.
- Modernizing facilities to help covert units manage covert operations.
- Modernization of the US base in Gloucestershire, from which waves of powerful bombers attacked Iran earlier this year on orders from US President Donald Trump.
These plans conflict with the Trump administration’s strategy to reduce US military deployment on European soil, and also raise questions about the British position on continuing to host American facilities on its soil, at a time when European reservations are increasing towards President Trump’s assessment of the common defense policy within the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
American bases in the United Kingdom have long represented the basis of the military partnership between Washington and London. But due to repeated American criticism of what the Trump administration describes as the British government’s failure to support the war against Iran, a state of coldness has descended on the alliance.
Trump has threatened to reduce the number of US aircraft and warships stationed across Europe, but has not proposed any specific changes to US bases in the UK.
Funding from NATO
According to the leaked information, the value of the current “planning, design and construction” projects for the American bases in the United Kingdom is $4.2 billion, in addition to another $1.3 billion in the “preparation phase.”
The Guardian quoted a spokesman for the Air Force’s Facilities and Mission Support Center as saying that a portion of this total amount includes funding from a NATO fund designated for military construction projects.
The newspaper reported that the bulk of the funding, more than $1.6 billion, is scheduled to be spent at the British Royal Air Force’s Lakenheath base in Suffolk, which is the largest American base in the United Kingdom and includes 6,000 military personnel.
The disclosure of this information comes at a time when Türkiye is preparing to organize a NATO summit a week later, where the issues of the increase in military spending and support for arms production top the summit’s agenda.
It is not clear then what The disclosure of US military modernization plans in the United Kingdom at this time was aimed at strengthening security and defense cooperation within the alliance, but it coincides with a plan announced by the resigned Prime Minister. Keir Starmer To modernize the British Army over a period of 4 years, with a budget estimated at approximately 400 billion US dollars by 2030.
While Washington repeatedly calls on its NATO allies to increase their military spending to 5% of their gross domestic product by 2035, and to reduce their dependence on Washington to ensure their security, Starmer said that the defense plan will increase military spending to 4.2% of their gross domestic product.
Nuclear arsenal
The documents – as reported by the Guardian – indicate that US spending includes new infrastructure prepared to house a nuclear arsenal. During the Cold War, the United States stored potentially devastating nuclear weapons there, intended to be dropped on the Soviet Union. It is believed to have been removed in 2008.
The Pentagon documents include new facilities that include hardened shelters, enhanced security measures and accommodation for additional personnel, which will be used to store the latest generation of nuclear bombs.
The documents contain funds estimated at $1.1 billion for Mildenhall Air Force Base in Suffolk, where about 4,000 American military personnel are stationed. During the American-Israeli war on Iran this year, this base played an important role in facilitating bombing operations, as huge planes were launched from it to the Mediterranean Sea to supply other planes with fuel as they headed to and from Iran.
The base includes a runway about two miles long, and is fortified to carry heavy bombers, such as the B-1 and B-52, which are capable of carrying huge bombs, including “bunker buster” bombs.
According to one document, the United States is spending $163 million at the Menwith Hill base in the Yorkshire Dales, which is considered the most secret American base in the United Kingdom. It is part of a network of electronic spy stations run by the US government, allowing it to eavesdrop on large parts of the world, including the Middle East.
