The united kingdom was the third country after america and the soviet union to develop and test nuclear weapons and is one of the five nuclear weapon states under the treaty on the non proliferation of nuclear weapons the possession of nuclear weapons is an important component of britains national identity. The united kingdom is a nuclear weapon state party to the treaty on the non proliferation of nuclear weapons npt and a member of all of the major wmd nonproliferation treaties and international export control regimes. The present recognised nuclear weapons states intends to renounce nuclear weapons in the absence of an agreement to disarm multilaterally and we cannot be sure that a major nuclear threat to our vital interests will not the future of the united kingdoms nuclear deterrent. This volume provides a study of the current uk nuclear program and related issues that reflect the complexity of the trident weapons system and the changing nature of deterrence. In sum nuclear weapons and coercive diplomacy should be read cover to cover by those interested in nuclear politics and strategy while readers can pick and choose more freely from the contributions to the united kingdom and the future of nuclear weapons