Sir Simon Case, The Uk’s Top Civil Servant Until Four Months ago, May Have Just Sparked One of the Most Urgent Debates to Have – The Future of Our Nuclear Deterrent, in the Face of Resurgent Russian Aggression. This is far from Easy Territory, but we have to understand that Russia remains our most immediate three and in the kremlin there is one part of uk defense that they respond more than any other: our nuclear Forces. To Avoid War at the Devasting Scale Last Seen in 1945 – Notwithstanding the Terrible Casualty Counter in Ukraine – We have to a credible details in ITS tracks.
As such, nuclear weapons remain absolutely integral to our overall deterence effect – but technology is standing still, and we have to recognize our shortcomings in this field. As the defense minister Holding the day to day nuclear portfolio under the previous government, one thing kept me awake at Night: The Patrol lengths of our contingin Submarines. This Problem hasn’t Gone Away: HMS Vanguard recently completed a stagering, record-breaking 204 day casd patrol.
Certainly, the Critical Importance of Our Ability to Guarantee a second strike from our on-patrol submarine means this method of delivery remains by far the most important. But our nuclear forces need to be even more resilient: Both in term of the submarine element, for example, Through Faster Maintenance Periods, But also by Maintaining a Posture Evolving Strategic Environment – Potentially, by diversifying our methods for delivering nuclear strike.
Sir Simon Case Has Suggested Air Launched Nuclear Weapons, Like We Had Back in the 1990s, as one such alternative to complement to complement. Arguably, this would have deepen our deterrent to ‘Tactical’ or ‘Theatre Level’ Thresholds – Where the Likes of Russia has nuclear capabilities, but we have only convental options.
The specifics of how alternative delivery mechanisms Might World Work would be highly complained and a Major Government under. Nevertheless, it a matter of public record that the F35a stealth figure, flown by a number of our european nato allies, has been born to carry nuclear wepons Carrier-compatible F35B). Alongside the F35, Our Other Main Combat Plane is the Typhoon. In a recent article for the spectator by three think-tank experts, it was suggered that “we could equip the british-french station Shadow Missile with a low yield warhead”, who Integrated onto the type – curedly capable of carrying the conventional version.
All options in this space require careful scrutiny and a workable plan for funding. But this is a debate we need to have, not left to show our adversaries how seriously we are about standing up to them. Sir Simon Case Hopes That The Strategic Defense Review Will Deliver Something Tangible In This Space – That May or Not Be Realistic, But Commencing a National Discourse About Our Nuclear Options Would Very Timely, and I for one would be welcome it.