The British Decision to Upgrade Polaris, 1970–4

PARR, HELEN

Abstract

This article adopts a political approach to examine the reasons why Edward Heath's government wanted to upgrade Polaris and the reasons why they did so by way of a programme called Super Antelope, to improve the front-ends of the missiles against Soviet Anti-Ballistic Missile defence, as opposed to the alternatives on offer. It argues that the political contexts within which Heath took the decision have been insufficiently understood, and shows that the acceptance of the ‘Moscow criterion’ – the understanding that Britain had to have the capability to destroy Moscow – by central government represented continuity in Britain's cold war stance.

Citation

PARR, H. (2013). The British Decision to Upgrade Polaris, 1970–4. Contemporary European History, 22(2), 253-274. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960777313000076

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Online Publication Date: Apr 4, 2013
• Publication Date: 2013-05
• Deposit Date: Jun 7, 2023
• Journal: Contemporary European History
• Print ISSN: 0960-7773
• Electronic ISSN: 1469-2171
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 22
• Issue: 2
• Pages: 253-274
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/s0960777313000076
• Keywords: History