US presses UK on renewing its Trident nuclear submarine fleet

[Onkel Neal]

US presses UK on renewing its Trident nuclear submarine fleet
http://en.mercopress.com/2016/02/15/...bmarine-fleet#

Why would Britain shy away from its deterrent responsibility? With Russia insurgent and increasingly autocratic, should the US and France be the sole nuclear submarine deterrent powers?

A decision on replacing the ageing fleet of four submarines which carry nuclear warheads is due to be made this year and while Prime Minister David Cameron is committed to renewal, the issue has caused deep divisions in the opposition Labor Party.

Carter said the submarine fleet helped the “special relationship” Britain enjoyed with the United States, the BBC said on its website.

The deterrent allowed Britain to “continue to play that outsized role on the global stage that it does because of its moral standing and its historical standing,” he was quoted as saying.

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http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk...-a6872241.html

“The UK is one of the major powers in Nato – its deterrent is part and parcel of the Nato deterrent. The questioning that’s going on about renewing the submarines – there’s a great deal of nervousness around and it’s perfectly understandable.

The US Defence Secretary, Ash Carter, has urged Britain to renew its nuclear deterrent. The Government is expected to delay a vote on spending £40bn to replace the four submarines in the Trident programme until after the summer.