An alternate Franco-British nuclear deterrent?

(BRUSSELS2) The idea of ​​sharing nuclear deterrence capabilities between France and the United Kingdom is resurfacing, so to speak, and could be on the agenda of the summit meeting in London between Nicolas Sarkozy and David Cameron, at the beginning of November. This is our British colleague, The Daily Independent, which affirms it.

The British seem to be resolved, constrained and forced, into cooperation with the French. The desire of the British Tories to replace the Trident comes up against the refusal of the Chancellor of the Treasury to find the necessary funding from the general budget (20 billion pounds). George Osborne demands that Defense pay for the investment out of its own funds. Which in the state of the budget revision seems almost impossible. There won't be a cent left at La Défense...

The collision between the Vanguard British and the French Triomphant had demonstrated, in February 2009, all the vatuity of this force which doubles on one side and the other of the Channel. And the idea had been put on the table to have a permanent submarine of one or the other nation, of "guard". This made it possible to reduce the number of submarines on both sides. This hypothesis had been considered during the Sarkozy-Brown meeting in March 2010, but shelved because of the election on the British side. It is therefore reappearing and is one of the many options studied in London and Paris, alongside others (such as supply tankers, for example).

The problem it seems that our British colleagues do not mention lies in the financing. Apparently, London is ready to put a lot of issues on the table and share the means... if Paris provides the financing. Briefly, the British would be ready to provide their equipment and France, in "counterpart", is responsible for financing the new means. So let's bet that the next few weeks will still be full of speculation in all directions before the Entente Cordiale reigns...

An excellent study has just been published by Chatham House "Britain and France: a dialogue of Decline" which specifies the 11 sectors of Franco-British cooperation and outlines the clashes and torments of the defense strategies of the two enemy brothers (download here).

(1) Read: Liam Fox goes to war against defense budget cuts

(Nicolas Gros-Verheyde)