Yes, she replied, adding “the whole point of a deterrent is that our enemies need to know that we would be prepared to use it”. Theresa May was asked, in a Commons debate on renewing Trident in 2016, whether she was willing to “authorise a nuclear strike that can kill 100,000 innocent men, women and children”. Most previous prime ministers have not disclosed what they have written, although Jim Callaghan said: “If we had got to that point, then I would have done it.” Although he added, if he had in fact survived after having pressed the nuclear button, “I could have never, never forgiven myself”. The existing letters, written by Boris Johnson, can remain in force, most obviously for the submarine currently out at sea – at least one must be on patrol at all times for the nuclear deterrent to remain continuous. It is not necessary for Truss to write the letters immediately after the briefing the new prime minister has time to reflect. That is more than six times the 15-kiloton bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima at the end of the second world war. John Major said it was “one of the most difficult things I’ve ever had to do”.Įach warhead is thought to have an explosive yield of 100 kilotonnes, according to David Cullen of the Nuclear Information Service. Tony Blair went “quite quiet”, according to Lord Guthrie, the chief of defence staff who briefed him shortly after his 1997 election win. “It is called a deterrent for a reason,” said one naval source. ![]() The estimated 40 warheads available on a Vanguard submarine, which carries the Trident missiles, have the capacity to strike multiple cities and kill millions of people. But first, Truss will receive a briefing from Britain’s military chiefs on how the Trident nuclear deterrent operates – including the likely military and human consequences of authorising a retaliatory strike.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |