American military is slowly upgrading NATO facilities until 2031.
The United States considers the Lakenheath military base in Suffolk County, eastern England, unsuitable for the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons, partly due to the poor condition of the facilities. This was reported by The Daily Mail (DM), which reviewed the relevant Pentagon documents.
According to DM, the building intended to serve as the main command center has "reached the end of its service life," although it is still in proper condition. The "cooling and air filtration systems" are insufficiently effective to support the operation of the secure information center.
One of the reasons for Lakenheath's unpreparedness for nuclear weapon deployment, the document authors cite, is the inability of "some participants in the American nuclear operation" to promptly use the restroom in the event of a "scenario similar to Armageddon."
Under the Pentagon's modernization plan for the British military base, costing $264 million and set to run until 2031, the demolition of at least half a dozen buildings and structures is planned, along with the creation of secure intelligence facilities and protection of the surrounding area from enemy electronic pulse attacks.
Nuclear weapons have been stored at Lakenheath since 1949, but were removed 18 years ago. The United Kingdom's nuclear weapons are deployed on four Vanguard-class submarines, which carry American Trident II (D5) ballistic missiles.
The UK Defence Journal described reports of a possible return of such weapons to England as a "serious shift in NATO's nuclear strategy in the European region amid deteriorating relations with Russia and an increasing emphasis on deterrence."
