The UK Nuclear Deterrent Since 1940: Lessons from the Past? (Approx 7600 words)
By Admiral Rt Hon Lord West of Spithead GCB DSC PC*
Introduction
Few people dispute that the nuclear deterrent is the guarantor of last resort for the UK’s national security. But our journey to this point has not been straightforward, and it has not come without costs for our conventional defence programme.
By surveying the history of the British nuclear programme in today’s context, a few valuable lessons emerge. For one, we must acknowledge how reliant the servicing, development, and operation of our nuclear programme now are on US support and goodwill. Any fundamental change to that status quo would have vast implications.
