Treaty negotiated between United States and United Kingdom 22 December 1962
The Nassau Agreement transferred Britain's nuclear deterrent from the RAF to the Royal Navy and shaped UK-US nuclear relations for decades.
Key Facts
- Date concluded
- 21 December 1962
- Parties
- United States and United Kingdom
- Missile replaced
- Skybolt replaced by Polaris SLBM
- Polaris Sales Agreement signed
- 6 April 1963
- NATO condition
- UK Polaris assigned to NATO Multilateral Force
- EEC veto link
- De Gaulle cited agreement to veto UK EEC entry, 14 Jan 1963
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
The United States intended to cancel the Skybolt air-launched ballistic missile project, which had been promised to Britain in exchange for hosting a US submarine base at Holy Loch. Britain had already cancelled its own Blue Streak missile, leaving Skybolt as the sole basis of its independent nuclear deterrent. Without it, the RAF's V-bombers risked obsolescence against improving Soviet air defences by the 1970s.
Over three days of meetings in Nassau, Bahamas, President Kennedy and Prime Minister Macmillan negotiated a replacement arrangement. Macmillan rejected Kennedy's alternative offers and secured a commitment for the United States to supply Britain with Polaris submarine-launched ballistic missiles. The agreement stipulated the missiles would be assigned to NATO's Multilateral Force but could be used independently in cases of supreme national interest.
The Nassau Agreement led directly to the Polaris Sales Agreement of April 1963, shifting responsibility for Britain's nuclear deterrent from the RAF to the Royal Navy. Internationally, French President Charles de Gaulle cited Britain's nuclear dependence on the United States under the agreement as justification for vetoing Britain's application to join the European Economic Community on 14 January 1963.
Political Outcome
US agreed to supply UK with Polaris SLBMs; UK Polaris assigned to NATO Multilateral Force with independent-use clause for supreme national interests.
UK nuclear deterrent based on RAF V-bombers armed with US-supplied Skybolt missiles
UK nuclear deterrent transferred to Royal Navy Polaris submarines under the Polaris Sales Agreement