Britain could not simply hand its nuclear deterrent back to the Royal Air Force. The RAF no longer operates heavy bombers, leaving Eurofighter or F-35B as implausible substitutes for a dedicated strategic delivery force. Maintaining deterrence through standing armed air patrols would also create serious operational and safety problems. Continuous at-sea deterrence is a system-level naval commitment rather than a weapon that can be moved casually between services.
Notable Point · 16:31-18:27
Why Trident cannot simply become an RAF mission
Returning Britain's nuclear mission to aircraft would require a new delivery force and confront the risks of continuous armed air patrols.