Trident missile failure: just how safe is the UK’s nuclear deterrent?
Reports of a failed Trident missile launch have all sorts of political and security implications – but they don't necessarily spell catastrophe.
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Articles on UK defence
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Brexit is not the beginning of a global security crisis
Forecasts that Britain's withdrawal from the EU will send the world into a state of war are wildly overblown.
Britain’s part in the ‘drone war’ in Yemen urgently needs explaining
The US has been mounting semi-secret drone strikes in Yemen for years – and it seems the UK has been deeply involved.
Explainer: why Jeremy Corbyn’s ‘third way’ for Trident actually makes sense
Laugh at Jeremy Corbyn all you like, but he's right: nuclear deterrence isn't a zero-sum game.
Cameron looks to drones in the fight against Islamic State
PM wants more unmanned intervention but he should be wary of putting all his eggs in one basket.
Tunisia attack shows the war with Islamic State is bigger than we think
The true scale of the war against IS has gone largely unremarked on – until now.
Why are our perceptions about the military so far off the mark?
From the UK, to Canada, Australia and the states – our opinions about the military are usually wrong.
Should the UK spend more on defence?
With austerity on the agenda, the upcoming strategic reviews will be critical to deciding the future of the UK's defence force.
If British defence industry shrinks any more, the special relationship could be doomed
New research shows the UK's military heft depends on a thriving domestic industry to buy things from – and we may be about to cut it drastically.
Miliband is wrong: Cameron has done the best anyone could with UK foreign policy
Ed Miliband's attack on David Cameron's foreign policy seems to have hit home. But is it deserved?
Miliband is right: Cameron’s foreign policy is a failure of judgment and leadership
The Conservatives are livid at Ed Miliband's criticism of Cameron's foreign policy record. Perhaps it cuts too deep.
Miliband the internationalist bats off Tory Libya attack and opens a new front in election campaign
Labour leader didn't bash Cameron as hard as predicted on Libya.
State of the Nation: Britain’s role in the world just keeps shrinking
The coalition has presided over a muddled and reactionary foreign policy, and has done little to strengthen Britain's independent voice in the world.
Manifesto Check: Tory defence policy talks tough but cuts deep
The Conservatives can't quite figure out how to both cut defence spending and procure new kit the UK can actually use.
Scotland No vote has halted a wider debate about Trident
Nowhere was the relief over Scotland’s decision last week to remain part of the United Kingdom more acutely felt than with those responsible for Britain’s nuclear deterrent system, Trident. The Scottish…
Nato isn’t ready to take on Russia – but the problem is political, not military
On July 31, while it remained unclear exactly how directly involved in the Ukrainian crisis Russia is, the British media ominously reported that Nato had been deemed unready to fight a war with Russia…
Britain’s imperial armies come to the rescue of its modern forces
Speaking as part of a commemorative celebration of the importance of the Commonwealth in WW1, David Cameron had this to say about the participation of colonial troops from all over the empire: They fought…
Don’t believe defence scares, British security could benefit from Scottish independence
Former British Vice Admiral John McAnally entered into the Scottish constitutional debate the other day by warning of the “dire” defence implications for Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom should…
Top contributors
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Professor of Peace Studies, University of Bradford
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Lecturer of International Relations, Staffordshire University
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Professor of International Security, Director of Centre for War and Technology, University of Bath
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Senior Lecturer (International Security), University of York
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Managing Director, Ipsos MORI Social Research Institute, Visiting Senior Research Fellow, King's College London
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Research fellow, University of Kent
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Senior Lecturer in International Politics, University of Leicester
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Research Fellow and Project Leader on Defence, Security and Constitutional Change at the Scottish Centre on Constitutional Change, University of Edinburgh
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Professor of Sociology & Gender Studies, Kingston University
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Lecturer in British Politics, University of Leeds
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Research Fellow, King's College London
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Lecturer, Department of Politics, Philosophy and Religion, Lancaster University
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Professor of Defence Studies, King's College London
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MacArthur Fellow in Nuclear Security, King's College London
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Political Geographer, University of Exeter
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