The British nuclear weapons project , High Explosive Research , successfully tested a nuclear weapon in Operation Hurricane in October 1952 , but production was slow and Britain had only ten atomic bombs on hand in 1955 and fourteen in 1956 . The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom , Winston Churchill , approached the President of the United States , Dwight D. Eisenhower , with a request that the US supply nuclear weapons for the strategic bombers of the V bomber fleet until sufficient British weapons became available . This became known as Project E. Under an agreement reached in 1957 , US personnel had custody of the weapons , and performed all tasks related to their storage , maintenance and readiness . The bombs were held in secure storage areas ( SSAs ) on the same bases as the bombers
Operation Hurricane
Operation Hurricane
Project E