The Anglo-American Relationship in Defence

British defence policy since 1945 has been strongly influenced, indeed perhaps even dominated, by the close and continuous relationship between Britain and the United States. In many respects it is in the defence field that the intimate relationship between the two countries has assumed its most visible and tangible form. It is often argued, with some justification, that the partnership in security matters has not only generally mirrored the changing pattern and fortunes of Anglo-American relations but has also been the most important element in the wider alliance.1 For many scholars, defence collaboration has been regarded as the central core of what is usually described as the ‘special relationship’.².