New British deterrent: strategic planning and domestic political implications. Master's thesis

Technical Report · Fri Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1982

OSTI ID:5787963

Cummings, K P

The British Government announced its intention in July 1980 to modernize its strategic nuclear deterrent with the deployment of the Trident I (C4) submarine-launched ballistic missile. The MIRVed Trident missile will have significantly increased capabilities of range, payload and target numbers. It also represents an enormous expense for the British to bear and high political and military opportunity-costs for capabilities which may not be vital to an effective and credible national strategic deterrent. The political difficulties likely to be encountered in bringing the Trident program to fruition may portend the loss of all British strategic capability, while resulting conventional weapons reductions may even contribute to lowering the threshold of agression in Western Europe and increasing the liklihood of the threatening circumstances a nuclear deterrent is designed to avoid. Alternative strategic options, such as Polaris or Poseidon SLMBs or cruise missiles, should be explored to achieve the strategic stability and guarantee which the British seek.

• Research Organization: Naval Postgraduate School, Monterey, CA (USA)
• OSTI ID: 5787963
• Report Number(s): AD-A-125051/3
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

29 ENERGY PLANNING, POLICY, AND ECONOMY
290600* -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Nuclear Energy
293000 -- Energy Planning & Policy-- Policy
Legislation
& Regulation
DECISION MAKING
EUROPE
GOVERNMENT POLICIES
NATIONAL DEFENSE
NUCLEAR WEAPONS
UNITED KINGDOM
WEAPONS
WESTERN EUROPE