The row over Trident is set to reignite after it emerged Britain has been secretly upgrading its arsenal of nuclear wepons and developed an entirely new warhead.
A report from the Nuclear Information Service revealed ministers have already authorised £85 million for the more accurate and destructive Mark 4A warhead without consulting Parliament.
According to the report, the costs and the timetable of the program have not been revealed to Parliament. David Cameron is now facing calls for an urgent vote on the issue of Trident's renewal following the EU referendum.
The independent research body said work has already been undertaken at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, and new warheads have been tested at Sandia National Laboratories in the US.
UK has 'secretly' upgraded Trident arsenal and developed an entirely new warhead, report finds
The Trident nuclear submarine HMS Victorious is pictured near Faslane Credit: Sergeant Tom Robinson RLC
Telegraph Reporters
8 June 2016
The Telegraph
The row over Trident is set to reignite after it emerged Britain has been secretly upgrading its arsenal of nuclear weapons and developed an entirely new warhead.
A report from the Nuclear Information Service revealed ministers have already authorised £85 million for the more accurate and destructive Mark 4A warhead without consulting Parliament.
According to the report, the costs and the timetable of the program have not been revealed to Parliament. David Cameron is now facing calls for an urgent vote on the issue of Trident's renewal following the EU referendum.
The independent research body said work has already been undertaken at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, and new warheads have been tested at Sandia National Laboratories in the US.
How the Mark 4A warhead works Credit: TELEGRAPH
A joint US-UK working group was set up to allow collaboration on the programs, it said.
The Ministry of Defence meanwhile has refused to answer questions on the cost of the overall Trident programme on the grounds that the information is classified. Estimates put its eventual cost at more than £200 billion.
Peter Burt of the NIS (Nuclear Information Service) said: "The Mark 4A warhead modification programme will allow Trident nuclear warheads to remain in service until the middle of this century, and plenty of money is being spent to pave the way for developing a new generation warhead which will remain in service for even longer."
Emily Thornberry, Shadow Defence Secretary, urged Labour MPs to vote against Trident's renewal.
A spokesman told The Times: "The Tories have entirely abandoned the principle that Britain should be working towards multilateral disarmament, and by secretly investing in ever more destructive warheads, they are now actively working against it.
"The Labour Party that helped create the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should be united as one against that."
John Woodcock, the Labour MP for Barrow - where the Royal Navy's new submarines are being constructed - is leading the effort to maintain the party's pro-deterrent stance. He said: "Anyone concerned about keeping down the cost of Trident should surely welcome attempts to eek as much life out of the existing warhead by modifying it rather than going straight for a replacement.
"This report suggests nothing has changed in the long-announced plans for maintaining and ultimately upgrading the UK's stock of nuclear warheads. It will be interesting to see whether it becomes the latest nugget to be distorted and missed by anti-Trident campaigners seeking to cast doubt ahead of the parliamentary vote."
At a glance
Vanguard Class Nuclear Subs
HMS Vengeance
The Royal Navy’s four Vanguard Class nuclear-powered submarines carry Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent.
Length: 492 ft
Displacement: 15,900 tonnes
Crew: 132
Top speed: 25 knots
In service: 1993 to present
Armament: Spearfish torpedoes and up to 16 Trident II D5 nuclear missiles
Power: Rolls Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor
Boats: HMS Vanguard, HMS Vengeance, HMS Victorious, HMS Vigilant
A report from the Nuclear Information Service revealed ministers have already authorised £85 million for the more accurate and destructive Mark 4A warhead without consulting Parliament.
According to the report, the costs and the timetable of the program have not been revealed to Parliament. David Cameron is now facing calls for an urgent vote on the issue of Trident's renewal following the EU referendum.
The independent research body said work has already been undertaken at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, and new warheads have been tested at Sandia National Laboratories in the US.
UK has 'secretly' upgraded Trident arsenal and developed an entirely new warhead, report finds
The Trident nuclear submarine HMS Victorious is pictured near Faslane Credit: Sergeant Tom Robinson RLC
Telegraph Reporters
8 June 2016
The Telegraph
The row over Trident is set to reignite after it emerged Britain has been secretly upgrading its arsenal of nuclear weapons and developed an entirely new warhead.
A report from the Nuclear Information Service revealed ministers have already authorised £85 million for the more accurate and destructive Mark 4A warhead without consulting Parliament.
According to the report, the costs and the timetable of the program have not been revealed to Parliament. David Cameron is now facing calls for an urgent vote on the issue of Trident's renewal following the EU referendum.
The independent research body said work has already been undertaken at the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Aldermaston, and new warheads have been tested at Sandia National Laboratories in the US.
How the Mark 4A warhead works Credit: TELEGRAPH
A joint US-UK working group was set up to allow collaboration on the programs, it said.
The Ministry of Defence meanwhile has refused to answer questions on the cost of the overall Trident programme on the grounds that the information is classified. Estimates put its eventual cost at more than £200 billion.
Peter Burt of the NIS (Nuclear Information Service) said: "The Mark 4A warhead modification programme will allow Trident nuclear warheads to remain in service until the middle of this century, and plenty of money is being spent to pave the way for developing a new generation warhead which will remain in service for even longer."
Emily Thornberry, Shadow Defence Secretary, urged Labour MPs to vote against Trident's renewal.
A spokesman told The Times: "The Tories have entirely abandoned the principle that Britain should be working towards multilateral disarmament, and by secretly investing in ever more destructive warheads, they are now actively working against it.
"The Labour Party that helped create the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty should be united as one against that."
John Woodcock, the Labour MP for Barrow - where the Royal Navy's new submarines are being constructed - is leading the effort to maintain the party's pro-deterrent stance. He said: "Anyone concerned about keeping down the cost of Trident should surely welcome attempts to eek as much life out of the existing warhead by modifying it rather than going straight for a replacement.
"This report suggests nothing has changed in the long-announced plans for maintaining and ultimately upgrading the UK's stock of nuclear warheads. It will be interesting to see whether it becomes the latest nugget to be distorted and missed by anti-Trident campaigners seeking to cast doubt ahead of the parliamentary vote."
At a glance
Vanguard Class Nuclear Subs
HMS Vengeance
The Royal Navy’s four Vanguard Class nuclear-powered submarines carry Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent.
Length: 492 ft
Displacement: 15,900 tonnes
Crew: 132
Top speed: 25 knots
In service: 1993 to present
Armament: Spearfish torpedoes and up to 16 Trident II D5 nuclear missiles
Power: Rolls Royce PWR2 nuclear reactor
Boats: HMS Vanguard, HMS Vengeance, HMS Victorious, HMS Vigilant
Launch: HMS Vigilant launches an unarmed warhead in the Atlantic just off Florida in 2012
UK has 'secretly' upgraded Trident arsenal and developed an entirely new warhead, report finds
UK has 'secretly' upgraded Trident arsenal and developed an entirely new warhead, report finds
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