Britain must be ready to lead NATO without US in nuclear crisis | Politics | News

Britain was urged to leave its enemies in no doubt that NATO would still have a nuclear deterrent even if the US remained on the sidelines in a future crisis. The Prime Minister, Defense Secretary and Home Secretary are being encouraged to take part in “large-scale nuclear exercises” to strengthen Britain’s credibility as a country ready to defend itself with nuclear weapons.

The United Kingdom should be prepared to act as leading NATO members in such emergencies, according to a new report approved by President George W. Bush’s former special adviser on nuclear issues. Franklin Miller, who is also a nuclear expert at the US Department of Defense, raised the alarm about the threat posed by Russia and China.

He warns that after the end of the Cold War, experts and officials who guided Britain through the “epic nuclear conflict with the USSR” went on an intellectual holiday, but Moscow and Beijing did not. Vladimir Putin launched a “massive modernization of Russia’s intercontinental and sub-strategic nuclear systems” in the early 2010s, and China’s Xi Jinping initiated the construction of a “breathtaking” nuclear force, he writes in a foreword to an analysis by the Policy Exchange think tank.

He warns that efforts to modernize Britain’s submarine fleet and the Atomic Weapons Establishment are “not enough” and that “much more needs to be done” for the UK to have a “credible deterrent”. The former presidential adviser acknowledges the “instability of America’s commitment to NATO” and calls on Britain to “take a greater leadership role within the alliance”.

He said Britain should make clear that “any potential adversary can assume that NATO still has a nuclear deterrent to counter threats if the American government chooses to remain on the sidelines in a crisis (for whatever reason imaginable).”

The central question facing the nation is whether to invest in “a sovereign intermediate-range nuclear system of its own” at a time of “apparent uncertainty about American attitudes.”

The report’s author, Policy Exchange’s Daniel Skeffington, argues that to deter the country’s enemies there should be “large-scale nuclear exercises in which senior politicians, including the Prime Minister, Defense Secretary and Home Secretary, actively rehearse nuclear operations with field forces.”

It is “absolutely essential” that Britain invest in developing “additional airspace to deploy its conventional and nuclear-capable aircraft in times of crisis”.

It states: “This must be a priority for the Government and funding must be provided to ensure its rapid removal.”

Shadow Defense Secretary James Cartlidge said: “This report is a sobering warning that deterrence will only work if our adversaries believe the UK has the capacity and determination to act. But under Labour, we have no Defense Investment Plan, no real plan to increase defense spending and no willingness to take the tough decisions needed to reduce the welfare bill. The Conservatives alone have a fully funded plan to deliver more than £20bn of additional spending on Defense this Parliament – two child allowances top.” bringing back the border; canceling Labour’s crazy Chagos deal and diverting billions of dollars from Ed Miliband’s net zero vanity projects to Defence.”

A Ministry of Defense spokesman said: “Our commitment to the UK’s nuclear deterrent is absolute. It protects us every moment of every day. As we face an increasingly unstable world, our nuclear deterrent is more important than ever. Following the Strategic Defense Review, we are investing £15 billion in the UK’s sovereign nuclear warhead programme, significantly expanding our fleet of nuclear-powered submarines, building up to 12 attack submarines as part of the AUKUS programme, and procuring 12 nuclear weapons.” “In response to rapidly increasing threats, we are a leader in the alliance by dedicating our nuclear deterrent fully to the defense of NATO as capable F35-As and will join NATO’s dual-capable aircraft mission, keeping Britain safe at home and strong abroad.”