Britain increases stockpiles of nuclear weapons in shifting defense policy

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK needs to become an agile power broker with a bigger swing in the Indo-Pacific region, backed by an increase in local investment in science and technology.

“The happiness of the British people is almost uniquely linked to events on the other side of the world,” he said. Johnson told parliament as he presented a blueprint for Britain’s pursuit of foreign policy after Brexit. “The UK could never turn inward or be content with the narrow horizons of a local foreign policy,” he said.

Brexit has long been touted by government officials as a way for Britain to adapt quickly to global challenges not hampered by the EU. The government’s 114-page overview paints a bleak picture for the coming decade.

The report warns that the withdrawal of globalization, which began after the financial crisis, will exacerbate divisions between countries. The use of new chemical and nuclear weapons will also increase, the review reads, as the challenges to U.S. supremacy increase. “A defense of the status quo is no longer sufficient,” the conclusion came.

As a result of these prospects, Britain is stepping up its nuclear threat as a deterrent. Britain was on course by the mid-2020s to reduce its nuclear power supply to no more than 180 nuclear warheads.

However, this ceiling will be faced with increasing threats to a maximum of 260 nuclear warheads. The government will no longer provide figures on how many of the nuclear heads are in operation.

According to the Federation of American Scientists, the United Kingdom currently has 190 stock heads. Its stockpile will remain the lowest among the declared nuclear powers, which include neighboring France.

Some analysts question the move. After years of opposition to nuclear proliferation, it is a major diplomatic mistake, “said Nick Witney, former chief executive of the European Defense Agency. “It provides greater arguments for distributors around the world.”

After Brexit, a series of compromises await. To pay for a new army, the UK will have to repay spending on more conventional armies. It will try to establish deeper relations in the Indo-Pacific region, even if officials say it will not turn its back on Europe.

It highlights this complex balance: Britain will seek to expand economic relations with China, while criticizing its human rights record and trying to limit Beijing’s threat to Britain’s national security.

“We have a balance to strike,” he said. Johnson said, adding that it was not the time for a Cold War with China. This year, the British aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth will conduct patrols in controversial waters in the South China Sea amid growing tensions with Beijing.

Much of the overview is shaped by Britain’s experience during the Covid – 19 pandemic, when the country’s dependence on extensive global supply chains made it vulnerable to border shutdowns.

Meanwhile, its successful development and implementation has turned into a soft power victory.

Britain’s foreign policy will now be supported by a large – scale domestic spending program aimed at strengthening British research and development. The UK aims to direct at least £ 6.6 billion, equivalent to $ 9.18 billion, in defense funding to areas including space, direct energy weapons and advanced high-speed missiles over the next four years.

“It feels like the British approach is becoming more French and less liberal,” said Malcolm Chalmers, the deputy director general of the Royal United Services Institute, a think tank for defense. “It puts more focus on our national technology base.” France has previously worked to build up its domestic defense and technological capabilities.

How it will be paid for will be explained next week when the government sets out a series of cuts to the country’s army. Analysts expect the government to reduce the number of soldiers, fighters and frigates to pay for the rejigger. But Britain’s finances have already been stretched after the pandemic, which raises questions about whether the new strategy will be properly implemented, said Mr. Witney said.

According to the review, the US will remain the UK’s most important ally, both commercially and militarily. Britain will continue to regard Russia as its biggest adversary, and Britain will try to build diplomatic ties in the Indo-Pacific region.

It has applied to become a partner of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and wants to join the Trans-Pacific Free Trade Agreement. Mr. Johnson will be visiting India soon.

Last year, the British government announced its biggest increase in military spending since the Cold War in an effort to secure its position as the most important US military ally in post-Brexit Europe. The country will spend an extra £ 24.1 billion over the next four years compared to last year’s budget. The government confirms that it confirms Britain’s commitment to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

Write to Max Colchester by [email protected]