Attain 4574, a C-17 Globemaster III, flew direct from Kirtland AFB, dwelling to the AFMC Nuclear Weapons Centre, to RAF Lakenheath with the assist of KC-46 Pegasus refueling plane.
Ever for the reason that Federation of American Scientists (FAS) reported in 2022 that RAF Lakenheath had been included in an inventory of nuclear weapons websites scheduled for improve, it has been anticipated that U.S. Air Pressure B61 bombs would finally arrive there. The bottom had hosted U.S. nuclear weapons beforehand, and has the mandatory Weapons Storage and Safety System (WS3) vaults to accommodate them, however the vaults had been emptied by 2008.
On Jul. 17, 2025, aviation fanatics monitored the flight of C-17A Globemaster III 08-8200 throughout the Atlantic. Utilizing the callsign Attain 4574 – it’s unconfirmed, however suspected that 4 digit C-17 callsigns can discuss with excessive precedence missions – the plane made the weird step of refueling in mid air off the U.S. East Coast earlier than continuing throughout the Atlantic. This association is often solely thought-about for precedence missions, with common actions – even these famous travelling abroad throughout the latest state of affairs with Iran – typically making stopovers ought to they require gasoline.
Attain 4574 departed from Kirtland Air Pressure Base, close to Albuquerque in New Mexico. Kirtland is dwelling to the Air Pressure Nuclear Weapons Heart (AFNWC), which the U.S. Air Pressure says “synchronizes all elements of nuclear materiel administration on behalf of the AFMC commander in direct assist of Air Pressure International Strike Command”.
USAF C-17A #RCH4574 is inbound to RAF Lakenheath from Kirtland AFB on a nuclear airlift mission (PNAF).
08-8200 / #AE2FAC pic.twitter.com/ktJJhdBJZH
— EISNspotter 🇮🇪 (@EISNspotter) July 17, 2025
The C-17 itself hails from Joint Base Lewis–McChord, Washington. That is notable as a result of McChord hosts the 62nd Airlift Wing, the only unit within the U.S. Air Pressure cleared for routine Prime Nuclear Airlift Pressure (PNAF) missions.
The plane arrived at RAF Lakenheath simply earlier than 1200 UTC on Jul. 17. Whereas the UK is a daily stopover level for transport plane heading additional abroad, the routine areas for a gasoline or relaxation cease can be RAF Mildenhall or Prestwick Airport. RAF Lakenheath, quite than a transport hub, is devoted to the operation of F-15E Strike Eagles and F-35A Lightning IIs beneath the forty eighth Fighter Wing (48FW).
At Lakenheath, a NOTAM (Discover to Aviation (official UK terminology), or Discover to Airmen) energetic for Jul. 17 and Jul. 18 locations a complete restriction on all overflights of the Lakenheath Air Site visitors Zone (ATZ) beneath 2000 ft. The ATZ encompasses a circle across the base with a radius of two.5 nautical miles. A further NOTAM, legitimate till Jul. 26, restricts the airfield to pre-approved actions solely with no transient visitors permitted. Different notices regarding the non permanent closure or utilization restrictions of sure taxiways and parking areas might also be associated.
The operation of this flight – together with the callsign, and using tankers – matches these beforehand monitored and suspected as PNAF missions. These have been famous travelling to bases in Europe the place B61s are already recognized to be positioned.
RCH3241 (C-17) about to AR with SKATR23 match (KC-46) on the AR20 over Nova Scotia. RCH3241 departed Albuquerque, NM and is a McChord AFB 62nd AW C-17. That is the one wing within the USAF tasked with Prime Nuclear Airlift Pressure (PNAF) missions therefore air refuel vs a stopover.… pic.twitter.com/9w0riaBRDF
— Thenewarea51 (@thenewarea51) June 13, 2023
KC-135R #LAGR72 out of RAF Mildenhall is conducting aerial refuelling with ☢️ C-17A #RCH3264 which is en path to Kirtland AFB from Büchel AB.
The 62nd Airlift Wing serves because the Prime Nuclear Airlift Pressure (PNAF), the one wing tasked with transporting nuclear weapons. pic.twitter.com/pIjH6vPYWG
— EISNspotter 🇮🇪 (@EISNspotter) Might 28, 2024
Extra info on the return of nuclear weapons to Lakenheath, together with contract notices, appeared in the beginning of 2025. In response to Hans Kristensen of FAS, a few of the terminology was modified after the very fact to take away references associated to nuclear weapons.
In our report on return of nuke mission to Lakenheath base, @elianajjohns and I present USAF quietly eliminated nuke language from contract doc after it was reported.
Beforehand in addition they altered finances doc to cover nuke return. pic.twitter.com/YMXuWh2Psd
— Hans Kristensen (additionally on Bluesky) (@nukestrat) February 27, 2025
These stories led to the subject being picked up by UK mainstream media, together with the BBC, which spawned protests by anti-nuclear marketing campaign teams exterior RAF Lakenheath.
The newest iteration of the ‘normal use’ B61 variant is the B61-12, which The Aviationist has beforehand coated extensively. The B61-12 provides a steering bundle to the present B61 design in addition to modernised security and security measures. Each the F-35s and F-15Es of 48FW can be able to delivering these weapons.
Moreover, the UK itself is now procuring a restricted variety of F-35As to assist F-35B coaching in addition to contribute to the NATO nuclear power. Whether or not these plane are resulting from be allotted to ship B61s stationed at Lakenheath, or if B61s might be stationed at one other web site within the UK (seemingly RAF Marham) stays to be seen.
Apparently, the timing of this flight can be prone to entice much less curiosity than regular from Lakenheath’s sturdy contingent of planespotters, as many might be in any other case engaged attending the arrivals days for the Royal Worldwide Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford. F-22s passing by means of the bottom have additionally very lately departed again to america following a speedy deployment to CENTCOM.
It’s unimaginable to know whether or not these occasions performed any position within the scheduling of the mission, however it might not be the primary time that the U.S. Air Pressure has adjusted some practices primarily based on the anticipated habits of aviation fanatics.
Feedback relating to the ahead deployment of nuclear weapons are extraordinarily uncommon, and what we do know of them has largely come from open supply investigations, or has taken benefit of various improper operational safety practices by U.S. forces. As such, we are going to seemingly by no means obtain full affirmation that this flight delivered B61s to the UK base.
