Estonia has indicated it would be prepared to host British F-35A fighter jets equipped to carry nuclear weapons in the future. The WP Times reports, citing the Telegraph. Answering questions from journalists, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur said: “I am always open. The door is always open for allies.” His statement underscores Estonia’s role as one of NATO’s most forward-looking members, consistently advocating for stronger deterrence measures along the alliance’s eastern flank.
The Ämari Air Base, located west of Tallinn, has for years hosted regular rotations of British and allied fighter jets as part of NATO’s Baltic air policing mission. Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania do not maintain their own combat aircraft, relying instead on allied support to safeguard their airspace against potential Russian incursions.
In January 2025, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer confirmed that Britain would acquire 12 new F-35A aircraft, the variant capable of carrying nuclear weapons, and would formally join NATO’s nuclear-sharing mission. Deliveries of the aircraft are scheduled to begin before the end of the decade. The jets are manufactured by the United States, which also controls the B61 nuclear bomb they are designed to carry.
Despite Tallinn’s openness, it remains uncertain whether the UK would base nuclear-capable aircraft in Estonia once they arrive. According to the Telegraph, a source close to the British military stressed that there was “no need to have strategic potential in a forward tactical position in Estonia.” The source suggested that while deployment might strengthen symbolic deterrence, the aircraft would act “less as a deterrent and more as an agitator.”
The debate comes as NATO continues to adapt its nuclear posture amid heightened tensions with Russia. For Estonia, the presence of British aircraft would send a clear message of solidarity, but within the alliance there are concerns about the risks of escalating confrontation by positioning nuclear-capable systems so close to Russia’s borders.
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