Trident and the costs of deterrence
Britain should only scrap its nuclear arsenal in multilateral negotiation with other powers. But debate is needed on what sort of deterrent it needs
Defence in the downturn
Resources
An FT series looking at Britain’s role in a world of constrained defence budgets
Defence staff cuts under fire from MPs
Public accounts committee hits at Ministry of Defence for sacking soldiers and civilian staff ‘without proper understanding’ of future needs
Trident renewal contracts to be announced
Government advisers say contract will be awarded to British companies and help create and sustain 1,900 jobs in the submarine-building industry
UK in cold war doctrine rethink
Debate has far-reaching implications for country’s nuclear capability and questions the so-called Moscow Criterion, which some see as a relic of the cold war
Trident divides coalition partners
Liberal Democrats are committed to keeping nuclear deterrent. But they are looking at cheaper alternatives to spending £20bn rebuilding Trident
MoD plugs £38bn budget ‘black hole’
Department has balanced its budget for the first time in a decade after years of equipment cost overruns and financial mismanagement
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Comment & Analysis
Inelegant U-turn on UK defence
David Cameron and his defence secretary deserve credit for switching course on the F-35, which, while embarrassing, is in the UK’s interest
Cameron under fire for U-turn over jets
The government is due to announce another U-turn, this time over the F35 Joint Strike Fighter which is destined to fly from Britain’s future aircraft carrier
Falklands bravado won’t ensure Britain’s security
We do not configure our forces according to need but by arbitrary judgment about what bills the Treasury is willing to pay, writes Max Hastings
‘Gold rush’ comes to end for defence groups
The world’s arms manufacturers are bracing for cuts in military budgets and a post-Afghanistan era when the money is expected to dry up
UK military: Smoke clears after the budgetary bonfire
After swingeing cuts, clarity is slowly returning, writes James Blitz
New front set to open in tank mergers
The economic downturn has combined with a geopolitical shift that is specifically putting pressure on the industry in Europe to consolidate
Looking for clarity on our carriers
The National Audit Office, Whitehall’s accountancy watchdog, has published a criticism of government decisions regarding the aircraft carrier programme
Opinion
A pact to end Europe’s Thousand Years’ War
Co-operation in defence between Britain and France is a recognistion that the two countries no longer pretend to have real influence in the world unless they join forces, writes Gérard Errera
Think again before Trident is all at sea
The question is not whether the Treasury will back down but rather what the MoD is going to do when it does not, writes Menzies Campbell
A defence review has to conquer political infighting
Politicians have not been clear enough about the political commitment and priority that the armed forces deserve, writes Steve Chisnall
Unreliable friends weigh on the west in Afghanistan
So much attention focuses on what our troops are or are not achieving. Yet the greatest problem facing the allies in Afghanistan is not military but civil: the absence of Afghan administrators to exploit tactical successes by bringing visible benefits to local communities, says Max Hastings
Where Britain should cut to defend the realm
If we do not make strategic plans, we may find ourselves not only unable to fulfil our current missions but also incapable of defending our interests 30 years from now, writes Charles Guthrie
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