This investment in our future security will ensure that the UK has a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent for as long as the global security situation makes it necessary. We will continue to keep our nuclear posture under constant review in light of the international security environment and the actions of potential adversaries. We will maintain the minimum capability required to impose costs on an adversary that would far outweigh the benefits they could hope to achieve should they threaten our security, or that of our allies.
Find out more about the Dreadnought programme. The base is one of the largest employment sites in Scotland, with thousands of people working there, many of whom chose to make the West of Scotland home after they leave service. Submarine construction takes place at the BAE Systems Shipyard in Barrow , where training and apprenticeships are also provided at the Submarine Academy.
The nuclear propulsion systems are manufactured by Rolls-Royce in Derby , and Babcock supports and maintains in-service submarines at naval bases in Faslane and Plymouth. The cost of operating, maintaining, and renewing the nuclear deterrent is substantial, but short-term economic pressure does not justify taking long term risks with the security of the UK and our NATO allies.
CASD would not be possible without the skill and dedication of the men and women of the submarine service. They place their duty to protect the UK above all else, missing out on many things we take for granted to help keep us safe.
The submarines need to operate submerged for months at a time, with no option to resupply fresh water, food, or clean air, so they must be self-contained and self-sustaining. The boats are remarkable machines, and the people who work on them truly remarkable individuals.
The safety of our submariners, their families and the general public is of highest priority, and the UK takes the security of its nuclear materials extremely seriously. Storage and maintenance of our nuclear weapons operates under very strict licensing and regulatory requirements, and the weapons are designed with built-in features that make them safe until they may need to be used.
We have measures in place to counter and respond to all conceivable incidents, no matter how unlikely. These are regularly tested to ensure their continued efficiency. Find out what life on board a Vanguard Class submarine is like. The UK remains committed to the collective long-term goal of a world without nuclear weapons, and supports the full implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons NPT in all its aspects.
There is no credible alternative route to disarmament. The UK has taken a leading approach to nuclear disarmament. We maintain the minimum destructive power needed to guarantee our deterrent remains credible and effective, and we are the only nuclear weapons state under the NPT operating a single nuclear weapons system. But the reductions we have made have not led others to follow suit.
The government firmly believes that the only way to achieve a world without nuclear weapons is through gradual multilateral disarmament, negotiated using a step-by-step approach within the framework of the NPT which takes account of the wider global security situation. The NPT has played an unparalleled role in restraining the nuclear arms race and minimising the spread of nuclear weapons.
Not only is this a colossal waste of resources but I fear that ploughing these huge sums of money into Trident will make us less safe, not more. Their very presence in Britain — and the transport of nuclear warheads on our roads — presents not only a target for terrorism but a continued risk of accidents linked to human error or technical failure. The evidence — provided by senior ex-military figures among others - is stacked against spending billions of pounds on these exceptionally dangerous weapons.
When the vote comes I hope that a majority will join me in voting against Trident renewal. Labour MP John Woodcock, a long-time defender of Trident in whose consituency the replacement submarines would be built, said the figures were misleading and that it was wrong to include associated costs in the estimate. Parliament is set to vote on whether to renew Trident when the current system comes to the end of its operational life — with the issue likely to reopen deep splits in the Labour party between those in favour of and against the weapons.
That said, the tremendous cost of retaining a first tier nuclear deterrent combined with the recent trend in declining defence budgets suggests that a real impact on existing and future conventional capabilities is tangible. It should be recognised that there can be no facts in this area, since we have no idea what renewing Trident will cost, and there are no official estimates. This is both the capital costs associated with the replacement and the subsequent lifetime running costs for the three elements nuclear warheads, missiles and submarines.
Portsmouth Climate Festival — Portsmouth, Portsmouth. Edition: Available editions United Kingdom. This review found that no alternative could be operational before at the earliest, and projected that was more likely.
This would mean that to some extent the current Trident replacement plans would need to be continued until then if the UK were to keep its nuclear deterrent. News this year has fractured communities, and caused confusion and panic for many of us. No one can control what will happen next.
But you can support a debate based on fair, accurate and transparent information.
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