A Brief Trident Missile and Nuclear System IntroductionWhat is Trident?
Shortly, the Trident missile is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) armed with nuclear warheads. They are carried by fourteen US Navy submarines, and the Royal Navy of the UK has four Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines, each of which carries 16 Trident II D-5 submarine-luanched ballistic missiles. Trident also loosely refers to the UK's Trident nuclear defense system. Why Should I Care?Britain's Trident nuclear defense system is nearing the end of its lifetime and on March 14th, 2007, British Parliament will be voting on whether or not to replace the program. There are several arguments against Trident renewal, and few (if any) logical arguments for it. Trident renewal would demonstrate a failure of the British Government to implement Article VI of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, which promised that nuclear powers would strive for nuclear disarmament. Recent polls suggest a majority of British citizens are in favor of nuclear disarmament, and the British Labor Party made election promises to strive for global nuclear disarmament. Replacement would weaken efforts towards multilateral disarmament, and rather, would hasten further proliferation globally by setting a terrible precedent for the rest of the world to follow. Nuclear deterrence is not a good insurance policy; replacing Trident actively increases the chance of a seriously military threat. As Nobel Laureate Professor Sir Joseph Rotblat said, "If some nations - including the most powerful militarily - say that they need nuclear weapons for their security, then such security cannot be denied to other countries which really feel insecure. Proliferation of nuclear weapons is the logical consequence of this nuclear policy." The UK is dependent on the US for nuclear capabilities. Finally, the money spent on these nuclear weapons could go towards several other issues - including tackling climate change. It would cost over 40 billion pounds to replace the system although the current nuclear system will last until 2024. What is Faslane?Faslane is headquarters of the Royal Navy in Scotland, and home to the UK's strategic deterrent submarine force. It is in fact the only British nuclear weapons base. Faslane has been home to several protestors and peace action groups, including Faslane 365, a year-long continuous, peaceful blockade of the Trident base. It also includes a delegation from IPPNW which visited Faslane this January. You can read more about the delegation here and an interview with Alex Rosen here. Where can I learn more?
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