Britain Enlists in Star Wars, First U.S. Ally to Take Part : Thatcher Sought Substantial Deal to Aid Economy

Britain signed an agreement today with the United States to participate in research on President Reagan’s controversial “Star Wars” space-based missile defense program, the first ally to do so.

The agreement was signed by U.S. Defense Secretary Caspar W. Weinberger and British Defense Secretary Michael Heseltine, who appeared at a joint news conference at the British Defense Ministry.

Weinberger said British participation in the $26-billion program, formally known as the Strategic Defense Initiative, “emphasizes both the closeness of our alliance and the special nature of our relationship which is a very vital thing . . . to both our countries.”

“Britain is the leader in many of these technologies and we want very much to have these capabilities placed at the benefit of the program,” Weinberger said.

Surprise Signing

The signing of the memorandum of understanding, which sets out the mechanisms for British participation in Star Wars research, came as a surprise. As late as Thursday, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher had told the House of Commons that negotiations were still continuing.

Asked what had changed in the last day, Heseltine said he and Weinberger had received word from joint U.S.-British teams in Washington overnight which had enabled them to sign the agreement. He gave no further details.

In March, Weinberger invited NATO allies and other nations friendly to the United States to take part in the research program.

Even before the Weinberger invitation, Thatcher said she wanted to participate.

But she made it clear that she did not want contracts for just “nuts and bolts” or “metal-bending,” but instead substantial deals which would be a boost to British industry.

Disagreement on Share

At one point, Heseltine reportedly was insisting on a $1.5-billion share of the funds set aside by the Reagan Administration for the project. The United States was said to have rejected such a high fixed figure.

The opposition Labor Party’s leader, Neil Kinnock, said after the signing that Star Wars was “deluded, destabilizing and dangerous” and said it was the “biggest single block to nuclear arms reduction.”

Heseltine, however, said the agreement offered “a very significant opportunity for British industry and for British research capability to be associated with a major and exciting program at the frontiers of human capabilities in many of the technologies of tomorrow.”

Weinberger told officials in Bonn, West Germany, on Thursday that the United States would welcome European participation. But Britain’s enthusiasm for getting in on the ground floor of Star Wars research has not been matched by other U.S. allies.

Israel has expressed interest and West German Chancellor Helmut Kohl has promised a Cabinet decision by Christmas. But France, Norway, Denmark and Australia have refused to participate on the government level.