ANTI-ARMS campaigners, trade unions and civil society groups will gather tomorrow outside the hub that transports F-35 warplane parts to the United States and Israel in protest at Britain making further purchases. 

The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), Stop the War Coalition, National Education Union, Fire Brigades Union and members of other unions will assemble at RAF Marham to oppose the government buying nuclear-capable F-35A fighter jets, demanding that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer reverse plans to give the Royal Air Force a nuclear role for the first time in nearly 30 years.

Announced at last June’s Nato summit without a parliamentary debate or vote, the jets will be assigned to Nato’s dual-capable aircraft mission. 

British pilots will train to drop US B61-12 nuclear bombs, which are now believed to be deployed at RAF Lakenheath. 

Campaigners have warned that the weapons, designed for battlefield use, have three times the destructive power of the Hiroshima bomb.

Modelling by Princeton University warns that use of such “battlefield nukes” could quickly escalate, leading to 2.6 million deaths in the first few hours after their detonation.

The National Audit Office estimates Britain’s F-35 programme will cost at least £71 billion, excluding Nato integration costs.

Reports show that Israel’s F-35s have been used extensively in its genocide of Palestinians in Gaza. 

Between 2023 and 2024, 14 shipments were sent directly to the Nevatim air base in Israel.

CND general secretary Sophie Bolt said: “Buying US nuclear-capable fighter jets that launch US nuclear weapons has nothing to do with keeping the British population safe. 

“It’s a backroom deal that will cost us tens of billions and bind us even closer to [US President Donald] Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda.”

The protesters will assemble at RAF Marham’s Queen Elizabeth II Gate on Burnthouse Drove at 1pm.

More details can be found on the CND website.