“A direct consequence of the Cuban Missile Crisis was that the United States thought it their right to expand nuclear programs in the western world. The U.S. believed that by expanding nuclear programs to its allies, the threat posed by the Soviet Union could be mitigated; thus, its responsibility to prevent the spread of the Soviet Union would be fulfilled. The U.S. began by providing secret aid to the French nuclear program, which successfully built its first fissionable prototype in 1960, and by distributing weapons to the United Kingdom under the Nassau Agreement."
-Mathieu Rabechault, American Foreign Policy journalist for the Pentagon
-Mathieu Rabechault, American Foreign Policy journalist for the Pentagon
“Problems were overcome. This was demonstrated at the Nassau meeting between President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillan in 1962, where Kennedy stated that the United States would be canceling the Skybolt missile system (which the United Kingdom was going to purchase) due to high cost and poor test results. This led to Kennedy offering to sell Britain the Polaris missile system, which would be carried by U.K. submarines – an arrangement that further strengthened the bilateral nuclear relationship."
-The James Martin Center for Non-proliferation Studies
“The Nassau Agreement, signed on December 21, 1962, was the result of discussions between President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillian. It resulted in the Polaris Sales agreement, enabling the U.S. to provide the U.K. with Polaris missiles, which began the U.K.'s practical arsenal. "
- Office of the Historian, Washington D.C.
While the United Kingdom had conducted nuclear testing in the 1950s, notably testing the Hurricane plutonium bomb in 1952, “weapons constructed by the U.K. were too massive to be used for military purpose."
-Norman Polmar, author
- Office of the Historian, Washington D.C.
While the United Kingdom had conducted nuclear testing in the 1950s, notably testing the Hurricane plutonium bomb in 1952, “weapons constructed by the U.K. were too massive to be used for military purpose."
-Norman Polmar, author
Please click on the pictures below in order to view a more visual explanation of Operation Hurricane.
A summary of a meeting between the Prime Minister and President Kennedy.
TEXT:
“5) The Prime Minister then turned to the possibility of provision of the POLARIS missile to the United Kingdom by the United States. After careful review, the President and Prime Minister agreed that a decision on POLARIS must be considered in the widest context both of the future defense of the Atlantic Alliance and of the safety of the whole Free world."