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UK still needs nuclear weapons, says Defence Secretary

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Nov 2, IRNA
UK Reid-Nuclear Weapons
Defense Secretary John Reid has given the clearest indication so far that the British government intends to replace its ageing Trident nuclear weapons despite peace campaigners saying it would breach the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Giving evidence to the Defense Select Committee on Tuesday, Reid said that Britain still needs nuclear weapons as long as any potential enemy anywhere in the world has them.

The fact that they were useless against international terrorism was no argument for Britain's getting rid of its nuclear weapons when other countries were acquiring them, he told the all-party group of MPs.

Although the submarine-based Trident missiles, which went into service in the 1990, are likely to remain for at least 15 more years, the government is due to make a decision on their replacement during the current parliament due to the long delivery time.

Reid said such a decision was 'highly desirable' and added that discussion about the 'nature of the future threats' were already under way.

"We face a range of threats at this moment, running from individual acts of terrorism through to nuclear threats," he told the parliamentary committee.

MPs, opposed to the UK retaining nuclear weapons, are seeking a parliamentary vote on any decision, fearing that the government is likely to proceed with buying another generation of US weapons behind closed doors.

Britain's original long-range nuclear deterrent was carried by air force bombers in the 1950s, before being replaced by submarine-based Polaris ballistic missiles in 1968 and which were secretly upgraded in the next few years with multiple warheads.

The UK also used to have shorter-range nuclear weapons as well Navy depth bombs and Air Force free-fall WE177 bombs. But they were dismantled, leaving Trident missiles as the sole deterrent, when they came into service during last decade.

HC/2322/1412