In a renewed show of strategic alignment, French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer have jointly reaffirmed their countries’ strong commitment to military nuclear cooperation—cementing a deeper partnership between Europe’s only two nuclear-armed states.
The announcement includes the formation of a UK-France Nuclear Steering Group, co-led by the French Presidency and UK Cabinet Office. This group will oversee joint strategic planning, operational coordination, and policy development related to military nuclear deterrence.
While maintaining full independence of their arsenals, France and the UK reiterated that their nuclear forces are complementary and play a crucial role in NATO’s collective deterrence strategy. Both leaders acknowledged that a threat to one would inherently threaten the other, reinforcing their shared security doctrine.
France’s nuclear arsenal is split between sea- and air-based platforms: Triomphant-class SSBNs armed with M51 ballistic missiles and Rafale F3R aircraft equipped with ASMP-A cruise missiles. The UK continues to uphold its Continuous At-Sea Deterrence (CASD) via its Vanguard-class SSBNs, and has committed to fielding new Dreadnought-class submarines in the next decade.
A significant shift in UK posture is underway with the integration of a nuclear capability into the F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, deploying U.S.-supplied B61-12 tactical nuclear bombs under NATO nuclear sharing at RAF Lakenheath.
Both countries no longer operate land-based ICBMs, reflecting a strategic move toward survivable, mobile deterrent systems and a commitment to modern arms control norms.
The UK-France nuclear alliance boosts NATO’s autonomy by diversifying deterrent capabilities beyond reliance on the United States. Their joint strategy not only strengthens Europe’s defense posture but also sets a responsible example in global non-proliferation efforts. This renewed cooperation reaffirms that even in a multipolar nuclear world, coordination among allies remains vital for peace, resilience, and credible deterrence.
