U.K. Expands Nuclear Arsenal in Biggest Shift Since Cold War

The U.K. plans to bolster its stockpile of nuclear weapons to counter growing threats around the world, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced as he unveiled a major overhaul of defense and foreign policy.

Under a blueprint for the next decade, the U.K. will cut troop numbers, tanks and some fighter jets, according to a person familiar with the matter, while increasing its arsenal of nuclear warheads potentially by more than 40%.

The first stage of the plan is contained in a 100-page report which Johnson’s officials are billing as the most wide ranging re-evaluation of the U.K.’s security and place in the world since the end of the Cold War. More details on the future of the British armed forces will be set out next week.

In Tuesday’s report, the government warned the U.K. is under threat from rogue states, terrorists and even big tech companies, arguing that British military capabilities and international alliances must be reshaped in response.

The decision to bolster the U.K.’s nuclear capability immediately proved controversial, calling time on the gradual disarmament that marked the end of the Cold War. Officials believe the move is necessary because other countries are “increasing and diversifying their nuclear arsenals,” deploying “novel” technologies, according to the document.

“We remain committed to maintaining the minimum destructive power needed to guarantee that the U.K.’s nuclear deterrent remains credible and effective against the full range of state nuclear threats from any direction,” the document said.

Leader of the opposition Labour Party Keir Starmer told Johnson U.K. had broken the goal of successive governments to reduce the nuclear stockpile without explaining “when, why or for what strategic purpose.”

Later, Johnson’s spokesman Jamie Davies denied the point made by many MPs in Parliament that the U.K. could be in breach of the nuclear non-proliferation treaty. It “doesn’t require us to reduce the number of warheads,” Davies told reporters in London.

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