US Has The Power To Switch Off UK's Nuclear Subs

Talks on how to counter the Russian threat became the foundation of an atomic partnership that endures to the present day. This mutual defense agreement , signed in 1958, has provided the UK with affordable access to the latest nuclear technology and a reliable Western ally.

The treaty has been amended and adapted over time to reflect changes in the US-UK working relationship and the two are now so entangled that it is very hard to leave the co-dependent relationship.

Both sides have benefited from security and protection, especially during the Cold War. However, Trump's new“special relationship” with Russia's Vladimir Putin has reconfigured the global order of geopolitics.

Serious concerns are now being raised about the UK's nuclear capacity, given the unpredictability and potential unreliability of the new US administration. Trump could ignore or threaten to terminate the agreement in a show of power or contempt.

The UK's Trident nuclear deterrence program consists of four Vanguard nuclear-powered and armed submarines. The UK has some autonomy, as it is operationally independent and controls the decision to launch.

However, it remains dependent on the US because the nuclear technologies at the heart of the Trident system are US designed and leased by Lockheed Martin – and there is no suitable alternative. The Trident system, therefore, relies on the US for support and maintenance.

The UK is currently in the process of upgrading its current system. But its options seem limited. If the US were to renege on its commitments, the UK would either have to produce its own weapons domestically, collaborate with France or Europe or disarm.

Each scenario creates new issues for the UK. Manufacturing nuclear weapons from scratch in the UK, for example, would be a costly and protracted activity.

Technical collaboration with France seems the most plausible backup option at the moment. The two countries already have a nuclear collaboration treaty in place. France has taken a similar submarine-based approach to deterrence as the UK and French president Emmanuel Macron has suggested its deterrent could be used to protect other European countries.

Another alternative would be to spread the cost across Europe and create a European deterrence – but both strategies just re-embed the UK's current nuclear reliance.

Sign up for one of our free newsletters

• The Daily Report Start your day right with Asia Times' top stories
• AT Weekly Report A weekly roundup of Asia Times' most-read stories

While these weapons may deter a hostile nuclear strike, they have failed to prevent broader acts of aggression. Nuclear weapons have not been used in warfare for 80 years . Perhaps it is time to completely and permanently unshackle the UK from nuclear deterrence and consider alternative forms of defence.

The UK's nuclear arsenal is expensive to maintain. The cost of replacing Trident is £205 billion (US$265.3 billion). In 2023, the Ministry of Defense reported that the anticipated costs for supporting the nuclear deterrent would exceed its budget by £7.9 billion ($10.2 billion) over the next ten years.

This funding could be channelled into more pressing security threats, such as cybersecurity, terrorism or climate change.

Nuclear weapons will become strategically redundant if the UK cannot act independently. As NATO and the US dominate the global nuclear stage, the UK's capacity to respond has become contested. The time has come to decide whether the US is really our friend – or a new foe.

Becky Alexis-Martin , Peace Studies and International Development, University of Bradford

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article .

Sign up here to comment on Asia Times stories Or Sign in to an existing accoun

Thank you for registering!

An account was already registered with this email. Please check your inbox for an authentication link.

• Click to share on X (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window)
• Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)
• Click to print (Opens in new window)