Britain’s recent Strategic Defence Review recommends seeking a ‘closer relationship’ with France, ‘its European nuclear ally’. But Britain depends on US support for its nuclear capability and France, which is not part of the NATO Nuclear Planning Group, reserves its for national defence. In recent months, questions have been raised about the United States’ commitment to allies – how might Britain and France extend their ‘nuclear umbrella’?
Entente nuclear?
Britain and France have about 515 nuclear warheads between them – a fraction of Russia’s nuclear inventory, which is thought to number more than 5,000.
