UK must build own nuclear missiles to end US reliance, says Ed Davey

A lot of European countries seem to be considering getting nukes so there’s an opportunity there to share costs, and piss of the French.

Ive seena few surprising things from Ed Davey lately, are the Lib Dems attempting a move into a centre right space?

Really surprising that the Lib Dems are calling for a new Nuclear Missile Program I always thought they were more on the disarmament side of the argument. I wonder how their voters will feel about this latest idea.

It would not be technically difficult to build a new missile body just eye wateringly expensive. We could collaborate with the French on a new missile system, their current missiles do fit in a Vanguard Sub Launch Tubes but that is about all.

I do hope they will all now be backing increased defence spending fully to help pay for this redesign and build.

>> but it depends on the US to supply and maintain the Trident missiles that would deliver them

Well this is a completely stupid situation. Who’s bright idea was this? The whole point of the UK developing its own nuclear arsenal way back when was so it would be independent of the US (which refused to share its nuclear secrets with the UK if anyone cares to remember). Now given the way procurement works some American components in weapons systems are acceptable. But only if the UK has an adequate number of spares on hand, complete ownership and control of those components, the technical knowledge of how to install them and the inability of the US or any other country to remotely access/control them. Anything else is unacceptable.

Nah, let’s see if the French will let us be part of theirs.

Having worked in space and defence on the UK subs, this is a bit far fetched.

The trident missile is not only a long range ballistic missile (hard problem), it is launched from a submarine (even harder problem). We literally weld in the US missile compartment into our subs because it’s so damn complex.

We have our own warheads and reentry bodies, etc.

I fully understand the sub based deterrent, but land based sites would be waaayyy cheaper, and then you could chuck money at early detection systems (radar + satellites) that the UK are actually good at. My dumb 2c.

Cool idea but won’t happen. Dreadnought Class submarines (our ballistic missile submarines in build) share a common missile compartment with the US Columbia Class (US ballistic missile submarine in build), therefore, we are effectively tied to the Trident programme. A missile is useless without all the supporting systems and maintenance facilities too. Trident is a proven system, all the teething problems have been ironed out (sure, our last two launches had issues but there’s been over 190 successful tests of Trident), the industry knows how to overhaul and maintain Trident. We also have very little knowledge in ballistic missile design, of course we could do it but at an astronomical cost and probably 15-20 years.

It wouldn’t surprise me if there’s an EU independent nuclear weapons programme before long though. Warheads for gravity bombs and cruise missiles.

UK defence procurement is an absolute disgrace and shambles, it’s why the French military is vastly more capable even though we spend more.

Yes, we should have a European nuclear force, it should be a pan European effort with the “good” neighbours (Keep Hungary etc.. Out) 

Does he have any idea how expensive that would be? Tens of billions for minimal gain. The money would be much better spent on conventional forces.

I’ve never understood why the left has traditionalky been anti military – especially anti nuclear weapons. They are a necessary deterrent against other nuclear armed adversaries.

The sensible military position the UK should adapt is having a strong military, capable of defending the UK and its territory. 

We don’t need foreign bases, we don’t need to fight wars halfway across the war – we need to be able to crush anyone who threatens UK territory. 

Long range strike capability with conventional and nuclear weapons is an essential part of that. 

It’s not as simple as just throwing some new missiles in, the entire system is American. Support, spares, policy, documentation, testing sites, tools, a whole raft of American support from Lockheed, contracts, Polaris Sales Agreement.. this won’t work. We are 55 years deep into this reliance.

This won’t and can’t change. All this demonstrates to me is Ed Davey’s critical misunderstanding of the system.

Well done Ed. I suppose you had to come up with a sensible policy sooner or later.