26 Jan 17. Defence Committee. New Inquiry: The Indispensible Ally? US, NATO And UK Defence Relations. The ‘special relationship’ and NATO are the cornerstones of UK defence. The new administrations in the UK and US face a number of complex international challenges, ranging from a resurgent Russia to the threat of international terrorism, raising questions about NATO’s strategic focus and capabilities. This inquiry will explore how the administrations can build upon the ‘special relationship’ to address these challenges.
The Committee seeks written submissions addressing the following issues:
• What US, UK and other NATO member state military and security resources are currently available for the defence of Europe?
• To what extent could the UK and continental Europe deter an aggressive Russia, or defend themselves from a nuclear threat or conventional attack by Russia, without US participation in NATO?
• To what is the US currently committed in terms of NATO military modernisation? What will be the impact if some of those programmes cease to be funded?
• Does NATO devote sufficient attention to the threat from international terrorism?
• What will be the effect of the Trump Presidency on the further development of a European defence identity and on the level of investment in defence by European NATO member states?
• What will be the effect of Brexit on plans by continental NATO states for a European Army, and what effect might that have upon NATO and upon UK national security?
• With the new administration in Washington, is there potential for strengthening the ‘Special Relationship’?
• Is UK-US military co-operation primarily an accident of history and would security be strengthened by a more formal arrangement?
• What form does the US-UK partnership currently take in the military arena?
• What does the UK offer the US that is not available elsewhere and vice-versa?
• What are the implications of the new Administration’s policies for UK major equipment programmes and the UK nuclear deterrent?
• What more should the UK be doing in the European and NATO space in order to support the NATO mission?
Written submissions for this inquiry should be submitted via the inquiry page on the Defence Committee website. The deadline for written submissions is 6 March 2017. Submissions should state clearly who the submission is from e.g. ‘Written evidence submitted by
Submissions should be original work, not previously published or circulated elsewhere. Once submitted, your submission becomes the property of the Committee and no public use should be made of it unless you have first obtained permission from the Clerk of the Committee. Please bear in mind that the Committee will not consider individual cases or matters currently before a court of law, or matters in respect of which court proceedings are imminent. If you anticipate such issues arising, you should discuss with the Clerk of the Committee how this might affect your submission. The Committee normally, though not always, chooses to publish the written evidence it receives. If there is any information you believe to be sensitive you should highlight it and explain what harm you believe would result from its disclosure; the Committee will take this into account in deciding whether to publish or further disclose the evidence. The personal information you supply will be processed in accordance with the provisions of the Data Protection Act 1998 for the purposes of attributing the evidence you submit and contacting you as necessary in connection with its processing. The Clerk of the House of Commons is the data controller for the purposes of the Act.
House of C