The 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement and the 1980 Trident Decision

Kristan Stoddart

The 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement and the 1980 Trident Decision

Kristan Stoddart

Department of International Politics

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter

Abstract

Much has been written on the “special relationship” Britain has with the United States. Much less has been written on their “special nuclear relationship” created by the signing of the Mutual Defense Agreement(MDA) in 1958 and its 1959 amendments. These agreements on warhead and materials exchanges were supplemented in 1963 by the Polaris Sales Agreement (PSA), a deal concluded following the cancellation of the U.S. Skybolt air-delivered nuclear missile to be supplied to the United Kingdom. The PSA extended arrangements existing under the MDA to assist the United Kingdom in procuring the latest U.S. means of strategic nuclear delivery. Both agreements were essential to negotiations in 1979 and 1980 for the sale of the U.S. Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) system to Britain.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	U.S.-UK Nuclear Cooperation: An Assessment and Future Prospects
Editors	Jenifer Mackby, Paul Cornish
Publisher	Center for Strategic and International Studies
Pages	89-100
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Print)	0892065303, 978-0892065301
Publication status	Published - Jul 2008

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title = "The 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement and the 1980 Trident Decision",

abstract = "Much has been written on the “special relationship” Britain has with the United States. Much less has been written on their “special nuclear relationship” created by the signing of the Mutual Defense Agreement(MDA) in 1958 and its 1959 amendments. These agreements on warhead and materials exchanges were supplemented in 1963 by the Polaris Sales Agreement (PSA), a deal concluded following the cancellation of the U.S. Skybolt air-delivered nuclear missile to be supplied to the United Kingdom. The PSA extended arrangements existing under the MDA to assist the United Kingdom in procuring the latest U.S. means of strategic nuclear delivery. Both agreements were essential to negotiations in 1979 and 1980 for the sale of the U.S. Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) system to Britain.",

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note = "Commisioned for the fiftieth anniversary of the US-UK Mutual Defence Agreement. chapter: 7 ",

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AB - Much has been written on the “special relationship” Britain has with the United States. Much less has been written on their “special nuclear relationship” created by the signing of the Mutual Defense Agreement(MDA) in 1958 and its 1959 amendments. These agreements on warhead and materials exchanges were supplemented in 1963 by the Polaris Sales Agreement (PSA), a deal concluded following the cancellation of the U.S. Skybolt air-delivered nuclear missile to be supplied to the United Kingdom. The PSA extended arrangements existing under the MDA to assist the United Kingdom in procuring the latest U.S. means of strategic nuclear delivery. Both agreements were essential to negotiations in 1979 and 1980 for the sale of the U.S. Trident submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) system to Britain.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/2160/9907

M3 - Chapter

SN - 0892065303

SN - 978-0892065301

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BT - U.S.-UK Nuclear Cooperation: An Assessment and Future Prospects

A2 - Mackby, Jenifer

A2 - Cornish, Paul

PB - Center for Strategic and International Studies

ER -

The 1958 Mutual Defence Agreement and the 1980 Trident Decision

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