British Nuclear Weapons and the Test Ban: Squaring the Circle of Defence and Arms Control, 1974-82

During 1974-82, the UK attempted to maintain and modernize its strategic and tactical nuclear weapons while pursuing a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. It examined how a test ban treaty would affect the reliability and safety of the UK's nuclear weapons and how it would constrain and limit efforts to secure a treaty that would prohibit nuclear testing indefinitely. It also considered whether nuclear defense trumped arms control objectives and looked at the threats to the UK nuclear program from skilled craftsmen and industrial action.

Format: Hardback
Length: 174 pages
Publication date: 05 May 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This comprehensive book delves into the intricate dynamics of the United Kingdom's efforts to maintain and modernize its strategic and tactical nuclear weapons during the period from 1974 to 1982, while simultaneously pursuing a comprehensive nuclear test ban treaty. At the heart of the book lies the central question of how a test ban treaty would impact the reliability and safety of the UK's nuclear weapons, as well as the constraints and limitations it would impose on efforts to secure a treaty that prohibits nuclear testing indefinitely.

An additional complication arises from the fact that a ban treaty could potentially hinder or restrict the UK's ability to test new warhead designs to replace its existing tactical nuclear weapons and develop a new strategic successor system to Polaris. The book meticulously examines the unfolding events between 1974 and 1982, including the UK's decision to acquire Trident and the United States' determination that a test ban treaty was no longer in its security interests.

A detailed review, based on extensive materials from the UK National Archives, explores the aims and objectives of UK nuclear tests conducted in Nevada and the critical decisions made regarding the Chevaline warhead and its eventual replacement by Trident. Furthermore, the book assesses whether there was a greater threat to the UK's nuclear program during this period from skilled craftsman shortages and industrial action at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston, rather than from a test ban treaty.

The book also delves into the interplay between nuclear defense and arms control objectives during this period, examining whether nuclear deterrence trumped other arms control objectives. This insightful work will appeal to students of British politics, nuclear proliferation, and Cold War History, providing a valuable perspective on a crucial chapter in global nuclear history.

Weight: 400g
Dimension: 162 x 242 x 16 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032451633