Tactical nuclear weapons left out of defence review despite Russia threat ...Middle East

The SDR, to be unveiled on Monday, will cover the UK’s nuclear deterrent as one of its big themes for modernising Britain’s defence capabilities.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which can be launched from planes and deployed at short range, are different to the strategic weapons of the kind that are carried on Britain’s at-sea Trident deterrent, on submarines.

But earlier this month Sir Simon Case, the former Cabinet Secretary, called for Britain to reinstate the arsenal due to the growing threat from Russia.

Ex-Cabinet Secretary Simon Case has been pushing for Britain to reinstate an arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons

While next week’s SDR will stress the importance of the nuclear deterrent and recommend some modernisation, it is possible that further details – including an announcement on tactical nuclear weapons – could be made by the Government later this year.

Shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge – who under the last Conservative Government held the nuclear portfolio as defence minister – said the debate over whether to beef up the UK’s nuclear deterrent was one of the most urgent facing the country “in the face of resurgent Russian aggression”.

“To avoid war at the devastating scale last seen in 1945 – notwithstanding the terrible casualty count in Ukraine – we have to possess a credible deterrent that stops aggression in its tracks.

Cartlidge said while the at-sea strategic deterrent remained the most important method of delivery, Britain’s nuclear armoury needed to be more resilient, including “diversifying our methods for delivering nuclear strike”.

Tobias Ellwood, the former Conservative defence minister, said he agreed with Case that the UK’s nuclear deterrent was not sufficient.

Another defence insider said: “There are definitely decisions that need to be made on nukes.”

As a result, the UK is the only nuclear power that relies on a single system to deliver its deterrent, through the Vanguard class of submarines armed with Trident missiles.

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