Defence Contractors and Nuclear Modernisation: Corporate Roles in Sustaining Nuclear Weapons Programs in the U.S., U.K. and France

Abstract

Behind every modern nuclear arsenal lies a robust industrial ecosystem that quietly sustains it. While existing literature has primarily focused on the state’s strategic motivations behind nuclear development, far less attention has been paid to the role of defence contractors in sustaining these arsenals. Their role in the production, maintenance and modernisation of the nuclear weapons programme remains largely understudied. This article, while examining the corporate-state nexus, undertakes case studies of the U.S., U.K. and France to explain how the deterrence architecture of these countries relies on industrial partnerships. It argues that companies, including Airbus, Safran, BAE Systems, Babcock International, Boeing, and General Dynamics, not only provide technical expertise but also exert influence through lobbying and financing of policy-oriented think tanks. Instead of suggesting direct causation, this article highlights how these mechanisms could be the factors shaping the broader nuclear policy debates.