WI the US did re-start nuke sharing with UK in 1958?

I buggered the title, it should did "not" re-start nuke sharing in 1958.

Perhaps this was delayed for a few more years, or even a decade, what would be the result? I assume Britain wouldn't be offered the Skybolt or Polaris so would have to develop their own stuff for starters.
 
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I buggered the title, it should did "not" re-start nuke sharing in 1958.

Perhaps this was delayed for a few more years, or even a decade, what would be the result? I assume Britain wouldn't be offered the Skybolt or Polaris so would have to develop their own stuff for starters.

Upgraded Blue Steel for air launch.
Co-operation with the French on a solid fuel missile for the subs.
You may well see greater Anglo-French cooperation on nuclear stuff, if the US is being a pain.
Probably delay the sub program a few years, thats all

And you are unlikely to see US nuclear aircraft or missiles based in the UK.
 
Blue Steel was already air launched, I could see its rocket being replaced with a turbojet for low level use. The V bombers would probably also get a decent upgrade to operate into the early-mid 70s. Cool.
 
Blue Steel was already air launched, I could see its rocket being replaced with a turbojet for low level use. The V bombers would probably also get a decent upgrade to operate into the early-mid 70s. Cool.
One proposal for the Mk.2 version had a Viper Turbojet, for low level operation, although the definitive Mk.2 version would have been ramjet powered...
 
Upgraded Blue Steel for air launch.
Co-operation with the French on a solid fuel missile for the subs.
You may well see greater Anglo-French cooperation on nuclear stuff, if the US is being a pain.
Probably delay the sub program a few years, thats all

And you are unlikely to see US nuclear aircraft or missiles based in the UK.

All of which are going to have interesting consequences for European Space down the line.

Without USAF/RAF Thors, Blue Streak is going to get real priority. And since it's quite ahead of anything the French have at the time, they'll be quite open to collaboration. With full-scale Anglo-French deployment of Blue Streak, the cost of using it as a space launch vehicle will go down, just as French experience goes up. The result could be something that looks like the OTL Europa launcher, but cheaper and with a working (French) upper stage. Such a vehicle is the perfect size for first-generation communication sats, as well as smaller recon birds. So, by 1980, there could be a thriving Anglo-French space industry...
 
IIRC the French were the better part of a decade behind the British in the nuke race, they tested their first nuke 8 years after the British and didn't get a deterrent until 1964, 8 years after the Valiant. In the same vein the French MSBS didn't become operational until 1971 and presumably the Blue Streak would be 8 years earlier than that, in 1963 which sounds about right. So I think it might be a bit much to expect the French to come on board with the British quite so early.

However the British were using the extra resources of the Commonwealth to boost their nuclear and advanced weapons programmes. So perhaps Britain could do to France what the US did to Britain. In 1960, once France proved they could detonate a nuke independantly, Britain could enter a close nuclear relationship with France including sharing of bomb design data and nuclear products like HEU and tritium.
 
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