Do We Need Trident Nukes?

[KeithD]

The Tories have slipped up a bit with Trident. A couple of weeks ago they gave Faslane a long contract to keep thousands in work. This week they have come out and said that Corbyn is a national security issue as he wants to get rid of Trident. Reversing that statement, it is obvious that the UK will be ordering new Trident subs next year, even though they haven't read the report yet.

Anyway, regardless of the nukes, we need new Trident submarines. Subs proved how good they are in the Falklands. Plus we use them for launching cruise missiles.

As for the nukes, we only have a few of them, so we may as well keep them while other countries have them.

[Longweekend]

IMO we need them...

[Terpe]

IMO we need them...

So say I

[Iani]

What we going to do with the nukes though?

Scenario - it was always the Russians. Debatable if there was ever a Soviet threat or if they were satisfied enough keeping their sphere of influence, but nobody "back in the day" would use nukes, firstly due to M.A.D, secondly because no parties deep down wanted to - they all knew these were dirty weapons and would wreck the world. Unwinnable war.

Nowadays, those who might use them if they ever got hold of them - they are frankly crazy and the old deterrent wouldn't stop them. If there's no deterrent, and everyone with science knowledge knows that even a limited strike would have world changing consequences (It's just unthinkable, it will wreck the world), then if they explode one, we've all had it anyway

So - we can't use the things. The money saved would pay (I've read, can find the source I suppose) for the UK to guarantee it's energy needs for the future.

So again, do we need them?

[KeithD]

I answered above, the main cost of Trident goes into the subs, not the nukes, and we need submarines for the Navy to make up for the lack of ships!

When we eventually get the aircraft carriers out on the open sea, they should have a sub with them, along with a support and battle group. However, our Navy isn't big enough to support and protect even one of the carriers.

[Michael Parnham]

Can't see the UK doing away with Subs, if anything the fleet should be increased!

[jonnijon]

We should boost our armed services, there are too many crazys in the world today.

[London_Manila]

I would say no the Uk does not need Nuclear weapons
Renewing Trident is way too expensive and that money can be saved

The Uk is no longer a world power in terms of armed forces so get over it

The Falklands war was just show of force by the Uk and totally unnecessary
It proved a good vote winner for Thatcher anyway

How we lay claim to a few rocks in the middle of nowhere is beyond me
The people living in the Falklands could have been resettled within the Uk
The British Empire died a long time ago and going to war over this just made the Uk look unwise

I would settle for a negotiated settlement of the Falkland Islands

Remind me again how many billion its going to cost renewing Trident

[KeithD]

The Uk is no longer a world power in terms of armed forces so get over it

How we lay claim to a few rocks in the middle of nowhere is beyond me
The people living in the Falklands could have been resettled within the Uk

The UK has the fifth strongest armed forces in the world, so not sure what you are on about.

As for your comments on the Falklands... stupid . Do we need to get rid of the Orkneys & Shetlands as well? What about Northern Ireland? Most western countries have islands scattered around the globe. Maybe the Philippines should give Palawan to Indonesia, as they are closer?

[London_Manila]

The UK has the fifth strongest armed forces in the world, so not sure what you are on about.

As for your comments on the Falklands... stupid . Do we need to get rid of the Orkneys & Shetlands as well? What about Northern Ireland? Most western countries have islands scattered around the globe. Maybe the Philippines should give Palawan to Indonesia, as they are closer?

Jamaica Singapore Hong Kong and India have all got something in common

The UK should stop trying to fool itself that its a world force anymore
If you like Nukes so much then let the Americans have more bases within the UK and they can be our great defender just like what they do in the Philippines

The amount of our poor servicemen who lost their lives in the Falklands war for me was not justified
There could have been a negotiated settlement instead of just sending a task force

[Dabawenyo]

I would say no the Uk does not need Nuclear weapons
Renewing Trident is way too expensive and that money can be saved

The Uk is no longer a world power in terms of armed forces so get over it

The Falklands war was just show of force by the Uk and totally unnecessary
It proved a good vote winner for Thatcher anyway

How we lay claim to a few rocks in the middle of nowhere is beyond me
The people living in the Falklands could have been resettled within the Uk
The British Empire died a long time ago and going to war over this just made the Uk look unwise

I would settle for a negotiated settlement of the Falkland Islands

Remind me again how many billion its going to cost renewing Trident

How insulting for the those very brave men who were killed or injured fighting in that war. Presumably you'd also agree with China's historic claim to Luzon and Mindanao.

As for Trident, it's a deterrent and deterrents ensure peace. Or do you also favour handing the keys to the country over to Mr Putin? How's your Russian?

[KeithD]

The UK should stop trying to fool itself that its a world force anymore
If you like Nukes so much then let the Americans have more bases within the UK and they can be our great defender just like what they do in the Philippines

We don't have any nukes based in the UK, so why would we want US ones here? Our nukes are located anywhere in the world, that's why we have subs.

As for the US in the Philippines, it is a strategic location for the US. They would not be there if they did not have something to protect, in this case keeping a close eye on China. The side effect is that the Philippines get some protection, the US is not there to protect them though.

[bigmarco]

It's such a waste at a cost estimated of between £60 and £100 billion pound.

[KeithD]

It's such a waste at a cost estimated of between £60 and £100 billion pound.

36% of the country voted for a London-Birmingham railway for a cheap £32 billion . I'd prefer that money going on our countries security instead of knocking 5-20 mins travel time off for Londoners.

[London_Manila]

How insulting for the those very brave men who were killed or injured fighting in that war. Presumably you'd also agree with China's historic claim to Luzon and Mindanao.

As for Trident, it's a deterrent and deterrents ensure peace. Or do you also favour handing the keys to the country over to Mr Putin? How's your Russian?

Nothing insulting to the brave men who were sent to fight in that unnecessary war
Yes very insulting to the idiots who sent those men over there

I would Putin on par with the USA actually
As for Ukraine blame the west for that as much you like to point the finger at Putin

I see your AWFUL mayor cant seem to make his mind up on whether to go for the presidency or not

[London_Manila]

We don't have any nukes based in the UK, so why would we want US ones here? Our nukes are located anywhere in the world, that's why we have subs.

As for the US in the Philippines, it is a strategic location for the US. They would not be there if they did not have something to protect, in this case keeping a close eye on China. The side effect is that the Philippines get some protection, the US is not there to protect them though.

Ok fine let the American subs take over from our ones

I cant see how our token and paltry few nukes is going to make Putin loose any sleep

Leave the Nukes to the big boys the UK cant afford it

[KeithD]

Ok fine let the American subs take over from our ones

I cant see how our token and paltry few nukes is going to make Putin loose any sleep

Leave the Nukes to the big boys the UK cant afford it

So now you want the UK to become part of the US, but you don't want the Falklands to be part of the UK?

We do not have 'token' nukes, we have enough active ones, 24 hours a day, to wipe out every major city in Russia.

As I said earlier, we are one of the BIG BOYS, we have the 5th best armed forces in the world.

[Dabawenyo]

Nothing insulting to the brave men who were sent to fight in that unnecessary war
Yes very insulting to the idiots who sent those men over there

No. Highly insulting to those, like me, who took part in that operation. Not all of whom were in the armed forces.

I would Putin on par with the USA actually

Which simply demonstrates that you - like your hero - have little knowledge of either bar what you've gleaned from monosyllabic hard-left propaganda.

I see your AWFUL mayor cant seem to make his mind up on whether to go for the presidency or not

I think you meant to type "AWESOME" but were thinking about Corbyn at the time!

[Terpe]

I think you meant to type "AWESOME" but were thinking about Corbyn at the time!

I think it was AWFUL Corbyn who said he wouldn't run, then at 5 minutes to midnight secured the required number of supporting MP's by some allegedly shady shenanigans. So the story goes.

It's going to be interesting to follow his leadership. He may surprise.

[London_Manila]

No. Highly insulting to those, like me, who took part in that operation. Not all of whom were in the armed forces.


Which simply demonstrates that you - like your hero - have little knowledge of either bar what you've gleaned from monosyllabic hard-left propaganda.


I think you meant to type "AWESOME" but were thinking about Corbyn at the time!

The Falklands war was a waste of life for both sides and totally unnecessary

I don't have any heroes for your information and my point was that the USA has a far from satisfactory history when it comes to its own foreign policy. Some people object to their invading of countries and trying to effect regime change and installing puppet governments more suited to themselves

[London_Manila]

So now you want the UK to become part of the US, but you don't want the Falklands to be part of the UK?

We do not have 'token' nukes, we have enough active ones, 24 hours a day, to wipe out every major city in Russia.

As I said earlier, we are one of the BIG BOYS, we have the 5th best armed forces in the world.

Many people regard the Uk as just another state of the USA due to the fact that the Uk's own foreign policy seems to be dictated by Washington.The Uk is quite happy to follow the USA blindly into unwise wars !

Ukraine
Putin is only trying to protect his own back door and blame the west for trying to get all those countries in that area into NATO

[Dabawenyo]

The Falklands war was a waste of life for both sides and totally unnecessary

So you believe that a foreign power can invade a country with impunity, hold its citizens in virtual (or actual) imprisonment and plunder its assets?

[London_Manila]

So you believe that a foreign power can invade a country with impunity, hold its citizens in virtual (or actual) imprisonment and plunder its assets?

I think you might find thats exactly how the British Empire was built

Admittedly the Argies did invade the Falkland islands but the knee jerk reaction from the Thatcher government was unwarranted. Diplomacy and negotiations had not been exhausted so assembling a task force and sending it over there was beyond the pale.
I put it to you again over 900 lives were lost and all for what a few rocks in the middle of nowhere

[Dabawenyo]

Admittedly the Argies did invade the Falkland islands but the knee jerk reaction from the Thatcher government was unwarranted. Diplomacy and negotiations had not been exhausted so assembling a task force and sending it over there was beyond the pale.
I put it to you again over 900 lives were lost and all for what a few rocks in the middle of nowhere

Diplomacy was finished the moment the Argentinians invaded the Falklands whose inhabitants were and are British nationals and they wish(ed) to remain so.

[jonnijon]

If it was not for the British, Argentina would still be under military dictatorship, people forget this. Argentina should be thankful.