France has offered to create a joint UK-French nuclear deterrent by sharing submarine patrols, the Guardian has learned.
A Royal Navy Trident nuclear submarine. Photograph: Corbis
Officials from both countries have discussed how a deterrence-sharing scheme might work but Britain has so far opposed the idea on the grounds that such pooling of sovereignty would be politically unacceptable.
Britain and France each maintain "continuous at-sea deterrence", which involves running at least one nuclear-armed submarine submerged and undetected at any given time. It is a hugely expensive undertaking, and its usefulness in a post-cold war world has long been questioned by disarmament campaigners.
Britain's independent deterrent, based on Trident missiles carried by submarines, could cost the country up to £100bn, according to some estimates, once planned modernisation to the fleet has been completed.
France also maintains a four-submarine Strategic Oceanic Force, with each submarine armed with 16 missiles.
Last September the prime minister said Britain's submarine fleet could be reduced from four to three as a gesture towards disarmament, but the total financial savings were reported as relatively small.
"We have talked about the idea of sharing continuity at sea as part of a larger discussion about sharing defence burdens," a French official said.
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