Britain's Role in U.S. Missile Defense

Despite the apparent novelty of the subject, defense against ballistic missiles has been a persistent topic in transatlantic relations for other half a century. In particular, America's European allies, especially Britain, have frequently been concerned by the wider implications of U.S. repeated efforts to develop and deploy missile defenses. The end of the Cold War has completely altered the strategic circumstances within which ballistic missile defense (BMD) policy is formulated, while technological developments are making effective defense more feasible. However, the subject retains a large historical legacy of attitudes derived from earlier times and has lost little of its controversy. Britain has a particular role to play in U.S. BMD plans, beyond its long-standing status as America's most important ally.