Nuclear deterrence has been high on the European agenda for several months, including at the recent Munich Security Conference, where many spoke of how a ‘European nuclear deterrent’ might come to replace the U.S. nuclear forces on the continent. The agreement delivered an invulnerable second-strike capability at a fraction of the cost of a national UK solution, which the UK still operates on a follow-on class of boats today (and is building a new generation to serve in the next several decades). For critics who suggest that this move made the UK dependent on the US, or ‘less sovereign’ than the French, it is worth noting that, according to declassified U.S. files, the French, who have long claimed their arsenal is fully independent of outside support, received extensive secret assistance from the US starting in the early 1970s.
Author: RealClearWire
Published at: 2026-03-29 22:41:54
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