By IRNA,
London : MPs Thursday expressed concern about Britain’s ability to maintain a continuous nuclear deterrent after expressing doubts whether the £20 billion replacement will be ready on time.
In a new report, the Public Accounts Committee also warned that the American-built nuclear missiles to arm the country’s submarine-based Trident system might be the wrong size, while also expressing fears about the rising costs due to the weakness of the pound.
“The problem is that a decision on the size of the missile compartment in the new submarines will have to be taken in advance of the development by the United States of a missile to succeed the current Trident D5,” said committee chair Edward Leigh.
“In other words, our program to have a renewed nuclear deterrent will depend on yet to be taken decisions by the US on the dimensions of the successor missile,” Leigh said.
The UK first deployed a submarine-launched nuclear deterrent in 1968.
Since then, successive governments have been committed to a policy of continuous at sea deterrence, meaning that at least one nuclear-armed submarine is on patrol at any one time.
But Leigh expressed concern that the Ministry of Defence’s ability to maintain continuous at sea nuclear deterrence from 2024, when two of the current Vanguard class submarines will have gone out of service, is “open to doubt.”
“Completing the design and build process for the replacement submarines is extremely tight. It has 17 years to do it, even though the Department itself accepts that such a process usually cannot be completed in under 18,” he said.
The committee chair also voiced concern about the replacement being completed on schedule given that “the MOD’s track record in delivering major defence projects on time is not exemplary.
The all-party committee expressed further fears that the weakness of the pound against the dollar might add a further £300 million to the huge costs.