The United States plans to allocate more than $4 billion to modernize its military bases in the United Kingdom, including facilities for storing nuclear weapons, The Guardian writes, citing official documents.
The construction plans include building new bunkers in Suffolk. They will apparently be used to store nuclear weapons. The plans also call for upgrading facilities connected to support for secret units that carry out covert operations.
In addition, the U.S. armed forces intend to upgrade a base in Gloucestershire from which, earlier this year, massive airstrikes on Iran were carried out on Donald Trump’s orders.
“These plans underscore the scale of the American military and security apparatus in the United Kingdom, where more than 12,000 U.S. service members are stationed at at least 15 bases and facilities,” the article says.
The total cost of current planning, design and construction projects at U.S. bases in the United Kingdom is $4.2 billion. Another $1.3 billion is listed as being at the preliminary development stage.
The largest share of the funds—more than $1.6 billion—will go to Lakenheath air base in Suffolk. It is the largest U.S. base in the United Kingdom, with about 6,000 service members stationed there.
Another $1.1 billion has been allocated to Mildenhall air base, also located in Suffolk. About 4,000 U.S. troops are stationed there.
An unspecified portion of the funds earmarked for Mildenhall will go toward constructing specially designed facilities that will allow aircraft to be housed more compactly. The Pentagon says this will enable units to respond more quickly to crises.
Nearly $500 million is planned for RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire, which also played a key role in U.S. strikes on Iran this year.
The most secretive U.S. base in the United Kingdom remains Menwith Hill in the Yorkshire Dales. It is part of a network of signals-intelligence stations operated by the U.S. government that make it possible to intercept communications across a large part of the planet.
According to one document, $163 million is planned for Menwith Hill. What exactly the funds will be used for is not specified.
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