Deterrence: Integrating Britain’s conventional and nuclear forces

Executive summary

• The organisational and cultural structures of the United Kingdom’s (UK) defence architecture arbitrarily separate nuclear and conventional forces into silos. This limits the ability of British decision-makers to generate greater synergies between nuclear and conventional deterrence.
• This siloing is made even more challenging due to hollowed-out conventional forces and a minimalist nuclear deterrence posture. This combination of factors undermines the UK’s ability to deter adversaries.
• Options to help rebuild deeper synergies between conventional and nuclear forces include integrating nuclear and conventional planning; reconstituting strike and denial capabilities; and deepening interoperability with North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) allies, especially in Europe.