"So that's x billion for a weapon we can't even use, but we've got to be willing to use it, or at least say that we are, but if we use it then it wasn't a deterrent and we're all screwed" - Leon Rosselson, Faslane 365 - a voice of sanity.
The warheads in the Trident missiles we're buying are supposedly a UK design ... but the rumour mill is that it's a design that's remarkably similar to a US design.
The UK did design nuclear reactors. But, Hinkley C is a French design (with finance from France, China etc - and so, profits will follow the finance), as is the proposed Sizewell C (the B reactor there is a US design). There are also Japanese and US design reactors in the new build mix for the UK. For new nuclear power we're reliant on non-UK designs and non-UK funding. For warheads it looks like someone took a peek at classified US documents and replicated the design calling it "British".
Comments
Because we have the latter already we can do the former.
We are doing the latter at Hinkley Point C with three more proposed.
The UK did design nuclear reactors. But, Hinkley C is a French design (with finance from France, China etc - and so, profits will follow the finance), as is the proposed Sizewell C (the B reactor there is a US design). There are also Japanese and US design reactors in the new build mix for the UK. For new nuclear power we're reliant on non-UK designs and non-UK funding. For warheads it looks like someone took a peek at classified US documents and replicated the design calling it "British".
The former are supposed to explode, the latter aren't. One suspects that might make the latter a bit more tricky to make