Sec. 1655. Sense of the Senate on nuclear cooperation between the United States and the United Kingdom
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/bill/116/hr/6395/eas/section-1655·A research copy — for the controlling text, always check the official state or federal source. Not legal advice.
It is the sense of the Senate that— the North Atlantic Treaty Organization
(NATO)continues to play an essential role in the national security of the United States and the independent nuclear deterrents of other NATO members, such as the United Kingdom, have helped underwrite peace and security; the nuclear programs of the United States and the United Kingdom have enjoyed significant collaborative benefits as a result of the cooperative relationship formalized in the Agreement for Cooperation on the Uses of Atomic Energy for Mutual Defense Purposes, signed at Washington July 3, 1958, and entered into force August 4, 1958 (9 UST 1028), between the United States and the United Kingdom (commonly referred to as the Mutual Defense Agreement ); the unique partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom has enhanced sovereign military and scientific capabilities, strengthened bilateral ties, and shared costs, particularly on such programs as the Trident II D–5 weapons system and the common missile compartment for the future Dreadnought and Columbia classes of submarines; additionally, the extension of the nuclear deterrence commitments of the United Kingdom to members of the NATO alliance strengthens collective security while reducing the burden placed on United States nuclear forces to deter potential adversaries and assure allies of the United States and the United Kingdom; as the international security environment deteriorates and potential adversaries expand and enhance their nuclear forces, the extended deterrence commitments of the United Kingdom play an increasingly important role in supporting the security interests of the United States and allies of the United States and the United Kingdom; it is in the national security interest of the United States to support the United Kingdom with respect to the decision of the Government of the United Kingdom to maintain its nuclear deterrent until global security conditions warrant its elimination; as the United States must modernize its aging nuclear forces to ensure its ability to continue to field a nuclear deterrent that is safe, secure, and effective, the United Kingdom faces a similar challenge; bilateral cooperation on the parallel development of the W93/Mk7 warhead of the United States and the replacement warhead of the United Kingdom, as well as associated components, will allow the United States and the United Kingdom to responsibly address challenges within their legacy nuclear forces in a cost-effective manner that— preserves independent, sovereign control; is consistent with each country’s obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, done at Washington, London, and Moscow July 1, 1968 (21 UST 483) (commonly referred to as the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty ); and supports nonproliferation objectives; and continued cooperation between the nuclear programs of United States and the United Kingdom, including through the W93/Mk7 program, is essential to ensuring that the NATO alliance continues to be supported by credible nuclear forces capable of preserving peace, preventing coercion, and deterring aggression.