LONDON (Sputnik) — The renewal of the Trident missile submarine nuclear deterrent program, estimated at 100 billion pounds (about $150 billion) has become a hotly contested topic prior to the May 7 general election in the United Kingdom. The Conservatives, the current ruling party, insist on building four new nuclear missile-armed submarines, while the Labour, has suggested reducing the number of submarines from four to three.
"Let me be absolutely clear — we are committed to the renewal of Trident,” Coaker, speaking to the Royal United Services Institute in London said.
It is important to renew the deterrence and keep the nuclear facilities well-prepared, because “we cannot know what threat we might face in the coming 40 years,” Coaker added.
The shadow secretary said that within several weeks since the formation of the new government a group of experts will be set up to discuss the most efficient ways to modernize armed forces.
The UK currently operates four Trident submarines from the Faslane base, the only facility in the United Kingdom that is able to accommodate Britain’s nuclear deterrent. Each submarine carries 48 nuclear warheads delivered by 16 surface-to-air missiles.
