The UK completely ruled out the possibility of replacing existing nuclear weapons systems with French technology and reaffirmed its commitment to the Trident II D5 provided by the US.
The remarks were made by Defense Minister Luke Pollard while answering questions about possible cooperation related to France’s M51.4 missile.
Britain and France continue to cooperate closely in nuclear research and technology through the Treaty of Teutates and the recent Northwood Declaration, but the British government has made clear that this cooperation does not include the development or introduction of joint strategic missile systems.
Currently, the UK operates the Trident II D5 on its Vanguard-class submarines, and plans to replace them with dreadnought-class submarines within the next 10 years. Meanwhile, France operates its own M51 missiles on Triomfant-class submarines and is investing in more advanced versions to improve range and defense penetration capabilities.
Despite technical and operational differences, both systems fulfill the same strategic role of sustained nuclear deterrence. In the UK, Trident is considered one of the world’s most reliable systems, despite some recent isolated problems, with a solid test history of more than 200 launches and a success rate of over 90%.
source: UK Defence Blog | picture: X @Maks_NAFO_FELLA | This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by our editorial team
