Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

[NMaude]

Financially, such a pan european force would be the least bad solution. A fleet of submarines financed by big EU economies, on patrol in the Med, which can already be made very secure and closed off to third party warships when the need arises, and controlled by a board of its financiers, with multinational crews.

Didn't NATO back in the 1960s (With some pushing from McNamara) try something like that in regards to the Polaris SLBM?

 

[Josh_TN]

I think no pan European solution would be seen as credible. IMO, relying on the US seems like a better idea. I think only independent development right up against the Russian border produces true deterrence, assuming a lack of US involvement. It seems questionable that Germany or an EU nuclear force, or even a French/UK force would respond to Russian nuclear escalation short of a strategic exchange. Any Euro force of any composition will be numerically inferior to Russia without the US. IMO, NATO border nations would need their own nukes to deter tactical usage or demonstrations intended to coerce, with the UK and France providing a backstop against a full strategic exchange.

 

[Scott Kenny]

Europe would be well served by encouraging Germany to change its laws to allow itself getting nukes. But at the same time, i don't see Europe wanting to let Germany get nukes. Let alone outside players like the US or Russia.

Some pan-european nuclear force where not just one country csn launch on its own might see a bit less pushback from Europe, but it would still be opposed by UK and France. Let alone US and Russia.

Financially, such a pan european force would be the least bad solution. A fleet of submarines financed by big EU economies, on patrol in the Med, which can already be made very secure and closed off to third party warships when the need arises, and controlled by a board of its financiers, with multinational crews.

Of course, first a more intregrated and united foreign policy within Europe needs to be devised. Good luck with that.

You'd need a whole new EU treaty/constitution for that, and get all the countries to agree to give up certain parts of their sovereignty to the EU federal government. (Basically move to a system more like the US)

Which would be one hell of a hard sell.

Didn't NATO back in the 1960s (With some pushing from McNamara) try something like that in regards to the Polaris SLBM?

Yes, was it called the Multi-Lateral Force?

 

[EmoBirb]

Europe would be well served by encouraging Germany to change its laws to allow itself getting nukes. But at the same time, i don't see Europe wanting to let Germany get nukes. Let alone outside players like the US or Russia.

Let alone Germany itself. Only a fringe minority have the desire for nuclear proliferation.

Some pan-european nuclear force where not just one country csn launch on its own might see a bit less pushback from Europe

At a time where Federalism is dying, the EU is losing trust and favor of it's members yet has been more delusional than ever? Unlikely. There is no such thing as "Pan-European" and there never will be and certainly not in a military setting and most definitely not in a nuclear sense.

Much of what you proposed is already covered by an existing structure: NATO

And despite the doomers saying otherwise for years, NATO isn't going anywhere for the forseeable future.