With the nuclear deterrent and indeed defence in general no longer publicly perceived to be the preserve of politicians, officials and the military to decide upon, Trident renewal has become inextricably linked to wider issues. Scottish nationalism has at its heart a reconsideration of the merits of the deterrent on home soil. Austerity and the consequential reduction in real terms of the funding for our armed forces has likewise forced a reappraisal of the need for Trident renewal. The very fact that society is divided over a question that was once thought to be part of a discrete discource among defence professionals shows the extent to which NATO Allies need to be prepared to engage with the public and Civil Society spaces. Reasons, logics and assumptions must now be set out, or governments risk losing traction with the very publics they set out to serve altogether.