Vulnerability of the UK's nuclear deterrent: dependence on the United States poses a security threat

The United States has the right to disable the UK's nuclear submarines, which poses a security threat.

Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently boarded one of Britain's four nuclear submarines for a photo shoot as part of his attempts to showcase Britain's defense capabilities.

However, Starmer is facing a problem. The submarine and the rest of the UK's nuclear fleet are heavily dependent on the United States as an operational partner. And at a time when the United States is becoming an increasingly unreliable partner under a fully transactional president, this is not ideal. The US can, if it wants, effectively disable the UK's nuclear deterrent.

The UK has some autonomy as it is operationally independent and controls the launch decision.

However, it remains dependent on the United States, as the nuclear technologies underlying the Trident system were developed and leased by Lockheed Martin in the United States, and there is no suitable alternative.