The United Kingdom should renew its Trident nuclear missile system because it’s an important part of the “structure of NATO” and helps the country play an “outsized role” on the global stage, said US Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter.
He added that the US is “very supportive” of the program because it helps to promote America’s interests as well.
The UK Parliament is expected to vote on the $167 billion controversial missile system after the referendum on Britain’s EU membership later this year.
“We want to have the program for our own purposes,” said Carter while speaking with the BBC. Interestingly, Carter also explained that the US has the ability to use the weapons whenever it would like.
“We have independent authorities to fire,” he said.
The UK has four Trident submarines, which carry nuclear weapons. One is armed and roaming the seas. One is under maintenance, and the other two are in port or being used in training.
While it currently looks as though the missile program is going to get the go-ahead from the UK government, leader of the opposition Labour party, Jeremy Corbyn, has called for a review into his party’s support for it.
Those who oppose the program argue that renewing it could violate the UK’s obligations to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and that it plays into the hands of the military industrial complex, which will make billions from the deal. Further, the UK is currently cashed-strapped, and funding a program that is estimated to cost over $150 billion could push the country over the edge. Supporters of the program maintain that the missiles are important for security.
The Arms Control Association estimates that the US has over 7,000 nuclear warheads at its disposal while the UK has 225.
