NATO chief backs defence deal between Britain and France

"There's a pattern," said Tomas Valasek, a defence analyst at the Centre for European Reform. "France and the UK have the same problems, both with nuclear forces and the full spectrum of military capability. They face the dilemma of dramatic spending cuts while trying to retain European superpower status. If they don't want to reduce capabilities they need to seek savings through collaboration. That's the conclusion they're coming to."… Valasek said that while the notion of Anglo-French nuclear co-operation might raise hackles in Washington, the Americans were more worried about declining military capacities "among some of its best allies", notably Britain. "[Liam] Fox got an earful from the Pentagon in Washington recently."