Guidance

The UK's nuclear deterrent: what you need to know

Information about UK nuclear deterrence.

Documents

The UK’s nuclear deterrent: the facts

NATO assessment of nuclear threat

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UK Nuclear Deterrence Policy Booklet

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Details

To help explain how some states are expanding their nuclear capabilities, NATO have prepared the above graphic which uses Russia’s expanding arsenal as an example of this trend and compares it with the systems held by the UK and fellow NATO nuclear weapons states France and the United States. Read more about the UK’s nuclear deterrent.

Updates to this page

Published 26 February 2016
Last updated 28 March 2024 + show all updates
  1. Updated 'The UK's nuclear deterrent: what you need to know' with reference to the Defence Nuclear Command Paper.

  2. 'The UK's nuclear deterrent: what you need to know' updated with information about the 2023 Integrated Review refresh.

  3. Updated: The UK's nuclear deterrent: what you need to know - content updated under heading: A world without nuclear weapons.

  4. Added: UK Nuclear Deterrence Policy Booklet.

  5. Updated links on: The UK's nuclear deterrent: what you need to know.

  6. Addition of: a NATO graphic and updated the, 'The UK's nuclear deterrent: what you need to know' page.

  7. Updated all information in the 'Nuclear deterrent: what you need to know attachment'.

  8. Updates made to the UK nuclear deterrence: what you need to know document (Updated 14 February 2018).

  9. Added Nuclear deterrent factsheet and included link to factsheet in HTML page.

  10. First published.

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