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https://www.rt.com/uk/331002-corbyn-...-taxi-service/ (https://www.rt.com/uk/331002-corbyn-trident-taxi-service/)
‘Trident taxis’: Scrapping nukes, using subs as troop carriers slammed by Blairite MP
Published time: 2 Feb, 2016 13:26
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A British Royal Navy Vanguard class Trident Ballistic Missile Submarine. © David Moir
https://cdn.rt.com/files/2016.02/original/56b07be3c4618806708b45a9.jpg
A British Royal Navy Vanguard class Trident Ballistic Missile Submarine. © David Moir / Reuters
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would remove nuclear missiles from Britain’s Trident submarine fleet and instead use the vessels to transport British troops around the world, according to one opponent within his own party.
John Woodcock MP, a vocal supporter of Trident nuclear weapons, made his comments when it emerged Labour plans for submarines to go to sea without nukes on board had not been shelved as reported.
Corbyn suggested in January that nukes could be removed from the fleet of Vanguard-class submarine designed to carry them – a strategy known as the Japanese option.
Woodcock says the plans still exist and may be included in Labour’s defense review when it reports in June.
He said plans to keep missiles ashore and instead use Vanguard subs as troop carriers made no sense and demanded to know “why exactly this would be needed given the Astute class submarines already convey Special Forces.”
Read more
© Andy Buchanan Labour considers ‘Japanese option’ for Trident nukes
He also warned the Japanese option is “a red herring because it would break the non-proliferation treaty” and that the idea of scrapping nukes and remaking them as and when required was foolish.
“You can’t legally recreate the ability to make nuclear warheads once you’ve scrapped them and you can’t claim to be a credible opposition if you want to spend billions on an underwater Trident taxi service for British troops,” he said.
“It is as if whoever keeps floating these barmy ideas is determined to make Labour a laughing stock,” Woodcock added.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon publicly criticized Corbyn’s idea on January 21 during a tour of HMS Vigilant, one of Britain’s four submarines that have Trident missiles capped with nuclear warheads.
“If Labour maintains this position, they are clearly a threat to national security,” he said.
“It means we would be less safe under a Labour government. It is extremely dangerous. It is like making imitation rifles,” he added.
British is BANKRUPT and on the edge of being forced financially to give up their only nuke missiles, which are American Tridents placed in their expensive subs. The sad truth is their only BANKRUPT PARTNER USA is trying to rob them for more money from supplying these nuke toys:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...review-reveals (http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/23/trident-nuclear-renewal-costs-rise-by-6bn-defence-review-reveals)
Trident renewal costs rise by £6bn, defence review reveals
Price of four new submarines for UK’s controversial nuclear deterrent programme now £31bn, with £10bn contingency
Cameron sets out 10-year defence plan
Ewen MacAskill and Nicholas Watt
Monday 23 November 2015 19.27 GMT
Last modified on Tuesday 24 November 2015 19.36 GMT
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This article is 2 months old
Debate over the renewal of the Trident nuclear programme is set to become even more intense after the Ministry of Defence disclosed the costs have jumped by billions of pounds.
David Cameron, announcing the outcome of the five-year strategic and security review in the Commons, pledged to maintain nuclear weapons as “our ultimate insurance policy as a nation” but failed to mention the new estimated cost.
The strategy document disclosed the cost of the proposed four nuclear submarines at £31bn, up from a projected cost of £25bn five years ago and £20bn in 2006.
Huge question marks over Cameron's pair of £6bn aircraft carriers
The rapid rise will add to the already combustible argument over the UK’s nuclear programme ahead of a Commons vote due to be held next year on whether to renew Trident. The first of the submarines is not due to come into service until the early 2030s.
The review said a contingency of £10bn would also be set aside, suggesting the MoD fears the costs could rise beyond the £31bn estimate.
The Trident figure was one of the few elements of the strategic defence review that had not been revealed in advance. Downing Street said that the costs had increased after the completion of the design phase of the renewal programme. The prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “That reflects the fact that we have now gone through the design phase, we’ve got a better idea of costs and timescales. That is an update on the 2011 figure, which was £25bn.”
The government also confirmed in its defence review that the introduction of the new generation of Successor Trident submarines is to be delayed by up to five years. The phasing out of the current fleet of nuclear-armed Vanguard submarines, which had been due to take place in 2028, has been put back to the early 2030s. The prime minister said that a parliamentary vote will be held on the “maingate decision”. But Downing Street declined to say whether this would be held as originally planned in 2016.
The MoD is to spend £178bn over the next decade on weapons and equipment, of which £12bn is extra money. The Cabinet Office found £11bn in savings from the MoD, the security and intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism spending.
Submarine graphic
Much of the 94-page report deals not with defence issues but with fears over a terrorist attack. It says that 10,000 troops will be available to help police in the event of a major terrorist incident, double the previous figure.
The prime minister told MPs: “Just as in France it was necessary to surge the number of uniformed personnel on to the streets to sometimes provide a security cordon or keep people safe, we should get rid of the divide that there has been for many years about the deployment of military personnel on the streets of Britain. The first 5,000 are all ready to fulfil that function ... This is not about supplanting or taking over from the police. It is being there at the disposal of the police.”
The defence review also says that:
• New equipment and weapons will be made available for the special forces, the Special Air Service (SAS) and the Special Boat Service (SBS). This will include a weaponised Zephyr drone that is capable of remaining in the air for months.
• A 50,000-strong expeditionary force will be formed by 2025 for deployment in crisis spots such as the Middle East. They are not extra troops but drawn from existing forces.
• One of the costliest items will be planes for two new aircraft carriers. The review is proposing 28 F-35s at a cost of £100m each, fewer than when the carriers were first proposed.
• The army, navy and air force stay roughly the same in terms of personnel – up from 141,390 to 144,350 over the next five years – but civilian defence staff are to be cut from 56,860 to 41,000.
This defence and security review sends a message: Britain is no longer in retreat | Malcolm Chalmers
The introduction to the report says: “The world is changing rapidly and fundamentally. We are seeing long-term shifts in the balance of global economic and military power, increasing competition between states, and the emergence of more powerful non-state actors. We are increasingly likely to have to deal with unexpected developments.”
It adds: “The threat from Islamist terrorist groups to the UK, including to British nationals and interests overseas, has increased. Since 2010, over 60 British nationals have been killed as victims of terrorism overseas, including in the recent attacks in Sousse and Paris. The terrorist threat is fed, supported and sanctioned by extremist ideologies.”
The nuclear issue is the most politically divisive of those covered by the review, with the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Scottish National party opposed to the renewal of Trident.
The MoD has provided no overall total for Trident, only the cost of renewing the submarines. Also to be taken into account are missiles, warheads, anti-submarine vessels, infrastructure and personnel.
Britain’s bloated defence spending is at odds with austerity | Letters
Kate Hudson, the CND general secretary, described the new figures as outrageous, and suggested the total for Trident renewal could rise to a staggering £182bn, taking into account the £31bn, the contingency fund and other costs. “In its determination to replace this cold war relic, the government is prepared to keep on spending, even if it’s to the detriment of conventional forces and tackling the real security threats we face, such as terrorism, cyberwarfare and climate change,” she said.
There was some confusion over the defence review’s statement that the government was simply committed to holding a debate in parliament on the renewal of Trident. The government originally said that it would hold a vote on the “maingate decision” – a decision on total investment, the point of no return – by next year.
The prime minister told the Tory chairman of the Commons defence select committee, Julian Lewis, that MPs would have a vote. Cameron said: “The maingate decision: we will be moving ahead with the four submarines and obviously at the appropriate moment we will want to have a vote in this house.” The prime minister later added: “I’m very keen that we have a vote.”
The Guardian view on the defence review: making ends meet in troubled times | Editorial
Corbyn challenged Cameron over the planned cuts to police numbers, which are due to be announced in the spending review on Wednesday. The Labour leader also said that the party’s defence review would assess whether it was right to devote such a large part of the defence budget to the Trident replacement.
The prime minister mocked Corbyn for voicing support for the armed forces when he questioned the need for having large armed forces during the Labour leadership contest. “I know it is depressing for people sitting opposite but they might as well know about it,” Cameron said. “That is the view of the leader of the opposition.”
Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, raised concerns that the deployment of 10,000 troops in a “surge” to help police in response to a terrorist incident could be used to mask cuts to police numbers. Burnham told the Guardian: “This would represent a significant change in the way we respond to serious incidents. I don’t think the prime minister has made the argument that it is safe to cut the police and ask the military to fill the gaps.
“What if those military personnel are required overseas? It seems as though the government has chosen to invest in the military and take the money from the police force. I don’t think that will strike the public as the best way to keep us safe.”
In other announcements, the government said eight Type-26 frigates will be built on the Clyde, nine new surveillance planes will be based at Lossiemouth in Scotland to counter Russian air and submarine activity around UK airspace and water, and the number of Typhoon aircraft is to be extended for an extra 10 years to 2040, meaning there will be a total of seven frontline squadrons, with about 12 planes per squadron.
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?224689-Ang-Moh-beggars-BANKRUPT-so-NTUC-COMFORT-can-buy-their-Nuke-Sub-now-TAXI!&goto=newpost).
https://www.rt.com/uk/331002-corbyn-...-taxi-service/ (https://www.rt.com/uk/331002-corbyn-trident-taxi-service/)
‘Trident taxis’: Scrapping nukes, using subs as troop carriers slammed by Blairite MP
Published time: 2 Feb, 2016 13:26
Get short URL
A British Royal Navy Vanguard class Trident Ballistic Missile Submarine. © David Moir
https://cdn.rt.com/files/2016.02/original/56b07be3c4618806708b45a9.jpg
A British Royal Navy Vanguard class Trident Ballistic Missile Submarine. © David Moir / Reuters
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn would remove nuclear missiles from Britain’s Trident submarine fleet and instead use the vessels to transport British troops around the world, according to one opponent within his own party.
John Woodcock MP, a vocal supporter of Trident nuclear weapons, made his comments when it emerged Labour plans for submarines to go to sea without nukes on board had not been shelved as reported.
Corbyn suggested in January that nukes could be removed from the fleet of Vanguard-class submarine designed to carry them – a strategy known as the Japanese option.
Woodcock says the plans still exist and may be included in Labour’s defense review when it reports in June.
He said plans to keep missiles ashore and instead use Vanguard subs as troop carriers made no sense and demanded to know “why exactly this would be needed given the Astute class submarines already convey Special Forces.”
Read more
© Andy Buchanan Labour considers ‘Japanese option’ for Trident nukes
He also warned the Japanese option is “a red herring because it would break the non-proliferation treaty” and that the idea of scrapping nukes and remaking them as and when required was foolish.
“You can’t legally recreate the ability to make nuclear warheads once you’ve scrapped them and you can’t claim to be a credible opposition if you want to spend billions on an underwater Trident taxi service for British troops,” he said.
“It is as if whoever keeps floating these barmy ideas is determined to make Labour a laughing stock,” Woodcock added.
Defence Secretary Michael Fallon publicly criticized Corbyn’s idea on January 21 during a tour of HMS Vigilant, one of Britain’s four submarines that have Trident missiles capped with nuclear warheads.
“If Labour maintains this position, they are clearly a threat to national security,” he said.
“It means we would be less safe under a Labour government. It is extremely dangerous. It is like making imitation rifles,” he added.
British is BANKRUPT and on the edge of being forced financially to give up their only nuke missiles, which are American Tridents placed in their expensive subs. The sad truth is their only BANKRUPT PARTNER USA is trying to rob them for more money from supplying these nuke toys:
http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2...review-reveals (http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/nov/23/trident-nuclear-renewal-costs-rise-by-6bn-defence-review-reveals)
Trident renewal costs rise by £6bn, defence review reveals
Price of four new submarines for UK’s controversial nuclear deterrent programme now £31bn, with £10bn contingency
Cameron sets out 10-year defence plan
Ewen MacAskill and Nicholas Watt
Monday 23 November 2015 19.27 GMT
Last modified on Tuesday 24 November 2015 19.36 GMT
Share on Pinterest
Share on LinkedIn
Share on Google+
This article is 2 months old
Debate over the renewal of the Trident nuclear programme is set to become even more intense after the Ministry of Defence disclosed the costs have jumped by billions of pounds.
David Cameron, announcing the outcome of the five-year strategic and security review in the Commons, pledged to maintain nuclear weapons as “our ultimate insurance policy as a nation” but failed to mention the new estimated cost.
The strategy document disclosed the cost of the proposed four nuclear submarines at £31bn, up from a projected cost of £25bn five years ago and £20bn in 2006.
Huge question marks over Cameron's pair of £6bn aircraft carriers
The rapid rise will add to the already combustible argument over the UK’s nuclear programme ahead of a Commons vote due to be held next year on whether to renew Trident. The first of the submarines is not due to come into service until the early 2030s.
The review said a contingency of £10bn would also be set aside, suggesting the MoD fears the costs could rise beyond the £31bn estimate.
The Trident figure was one of the few elements of the strategic defence review that had not been revealed in advance. Downing Street said that the costs had increased after the completion of the design phase of the renewal programme. The prime minister’s spokeswoman said: “That reflects the fact that we have now gone through the design phase, we’ve got a better idea of costs and timescales. That is an update on the 2011 figure, which was £25bn.”
The government also confirmed in its defence review that the introduction of the new generation of Successor Trident submarines is to be delayed by up to five years. The phasing out of the current fleet of nuclear-armed Vanguard submarines, which had been due to take place in 2028, has been put back to the early 2030s. The prime minister said that a parliamentary vote will be held on the “maingate decision”. But Downing Street declined to say whether this would be held as originally planned in 2016.
The MoD is to spend £178bn over the next decade on weapons and equipment, of which £12bn is extra money. The Cabinet Office found £11bn in savings from the MoD, the security and intelligence agencies and counter-terrorism spending.
Submarine graphic
Much of the 94-page report deals not with defence issues but with fears over a terrorist attack. It says that 10,000 troops will be available to help police in the event of a major terrorist incident, double the previous figure.
The prime minister told MPs: “Just as in France it was necessary to surge the number of uniformed personnel on to the streets to sometimes provide a security cordon or keep people safe, we should get rid of the divide that there has been for many years about the deployment of military personnel on the streets of Britain. The first 5,000 are all ready to fulfil that function ... This is not about supplanting or taking over from the police. It is being there at the disposal of the police.”
The defence review also says that:
• New equipment and weapons will be made available for the special forces, the Special Air Service (SAS) and the Special Boat Service (SBS). This will include a weaponised Zephyr drone that is capable of remaining in the air for months.
• A 50,000-strong expeditionary force will be formed by 2025 for deployment in crisis spots such as the Middle East. They are not extra troops but drawn from existing forces.
• One of the costliest items will be planes for two new aircraft carriers. The review is proposing 28 F-35s at a cost of £100m each, fewer than when the carriers were first proposed.
• The army, navy and air force stay roughly the same in terms of personnel – up from 141,390 to 144,350 over the next five years – but civilian defence staff are to be cut from 56,860 to 41,000.
This defence and security review sends a message: Britain is no longer in retreat | Malcolm Chalmers
The introduction to the report says: “The world is changing rapidly and fundamentally. We are seeing long-term shifts in the balance of global economic and military power, increasing competition between states, and the emergence of more powerful non-state actors. We are increasingly likely to have to deal with unexpected developments.”
It adds: “The threat from Islamist terrorist groups to the UK, including to British nationals and interests overseas, has increased. Since 2010, over 60 British nationals have been killed as victims of terrorism overseas, including in the recent attacks in Sousse and Paris. The terrorist threat is fed, supported and sanctioned by extremist ideologies.”
The nuclear issue is the most politically divisive of those covered by the review, with the Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Scottish National party opposed to the renewal of Trident.
The MoD has provided no overall total for Trident, only the cost of renewing the submarines. Also to be taken into account are missiles, warheads, anti-submarine vessels, infrastructure and personnel.
Britain’s bloated defence spending is at odds with austerity | Letters
Kate Hudson, the CND general secretary, described the new figures as outrageous, and suggested the total for Trident renewal could rise to a staggering £182bn, taking into account the £31bn, the contingency fund and other costs. “In its determination to replace this cold war relic, the government is prepared to keep on spending, even if it’s to the detriment of conventional forces and tackling the real security threats we face, such as terrorism, cyberwarfare and climate change,” she said.
There was some confusion over the defence review’s statement that the government was simply committed to holding a debate in parliament on the renewal of Trident. The government originally said that it would hold a vote on the “maingate decision” – a decision on total investment, the point of no return – by next year.
The prime minister told the Tory chairman of the Commons defence select committee, Julian Lewis, that MPs would have a vote. Cameron said: “The maingate decision: we will be moving ahead with the four submarines and obviously at the appropriate moment we will want to have a vote in this house.” The prime minister later added: “I’m very keen that we have a vote.”
The Guardian view on the defence review: making ends meet in troubled times | Editorial
Corbyn challenged Cameron over the planned cuts to police numbers, which are due to be announced in the spending review on Wednesday. The Labour leader also said that the party’s defence review would assess whether it was right to devote such a large part of the defence budget to the Trident replacement.
The prime minister mocked Corbyn for voicing support for the armed forces when he questioned the need for having large armed forces during the Labour leadership contest. “I know it is depressing for people sitting opposite but they might as well know about it,” Cameron said. “That is the view of the leader of the opposition.”
Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, raised concerns that the deployment of 10,000 troops in a “surge” to help police in response to a terrorist incident could be used to mask cuts to police numbers. Burnham told the Guardian: “This would represent a significant change in the way we respond to serious incidents. I don’t think the prime minister has made the argument that it is safe to cut the police and ask the military to fill the gaps.
“What if those military personnel are required overseas? It seems as though the government has chosen to invest in the military and take the money from the police force. I don’t think that will strike the public as the best way to keep us safe.”
In other announcements, the government said eight Type-26 frigates will be built on the Clyde, nine new surveillance planes will be based at Lossiemouth in Scotland to counter Russian air and submarine activity around UK airspace and water, and the number of Typhoon aircraft is to be extended for an extra 10 years to 2040, meaning there will be a total of seven frontline squadrons, with about 12 planes per squadron.
Click here to view the whole thread at www.sammyboy.com (http://www.sammyboy.com/showthread.php?224689-Ang-Moh-beggars-BANKRUPT-so-NTUC-COMFORT-can-buy-their-Nuke-Sub-now-TAXI!&goto=newpost).