"Britain must leave its adversaries in no doubt that NATO would retain a nuclear deterrent even if the United States chose to stay on the sidelines in a future crisis, according to a new report urging a significant strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture."
"The analysis calls for senior ministers, including the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary, and Home Secretary, to participate in "large-scale nuclear exercises" alongside military forces to reinforce Britain's credibility as a nuclear-armed state within the alliance."
"Mr Miller writes that Western experts who guided NATO through the Cold War "took an intellectual holiday" following the Soviet collapse, while Moscow and Beijing continued long-term nuclear expansion programmes. He highlights Vladimir Putin's "massive modernisation" of Russia's intercontinental and shorter-range nuclear systems from the early 2010s, alongside what he describes as a "breathtaking" build-up of Chinese nuclear forces under Xi Jinping."
"The report warns that Britain's current efforts to modernise its submarine fleet and maintain the Atomic Weapons Establishment are "not enough", arguing that "much more needs to be done" to ensure a credible deterrent. It also acknowledges what it describes as "unsteadiness in America's commitment to NATO", calling on the UK to assume a greater leadership role within the alliance and to make clear to adversaries that NATO retains nuclear capability under"
Britain should reinforce that NATO would retain a nuclear deterrent even if the United States stayed on the sidelines in a future crisis. Senior ministers, including the Prime Minister, Defence Secretary, and Home Secretary, should join large-scale nuclear exercises with military forces to strengthen credibility. The UK should be ready to take a leading role among European NATO members if American disengagement occurs during a major security crisis. Russia and China have expanded and modernised nuclear capabilities while Western focus declined after the Cold War. Russia has carried out massive modernisation of intercontinental and shorter-range nuclear systems since the early 2010s, and China has pursued a rapid build-up under Xi Jinping. Current UK modernisation efforts for submarines and the Atomic Weapons Establishment are described as not enough, requiring much more to maintain a credible deterrent.
#uk-nuclear-deterrence #nato-strategy #nuclear-exercises #russia-and-china-nuclear-modernization #submarine-and-weapons-modernization
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