Don’t Bomb Iran

Britain’s existing Trident nuclear weapons are being upgraded, apparently giving them the ability to destroy hardened missile for the first time. This would be a major increase in capability from second-strike citybusters to first-strike silobusters and comes because the US has upgraded the fuses to burst on the ground, not high in the sky. The Mark 4A Arming, Fusing and Firing system on the reentry vehicle thus is a major increase in capability, something the UK government denies, and something that may be contrary to its treaty obligations. As the US navy missile chief said, “the Mk4, with a modified fuze and Trident II accuracy, can meet the original D5 hard target requirement.”

Mk4 Trident warhead cover
The US Navy is saying - and the British government is denying - that a new fuze for the Mk4 reentry vehicle will increase the capability against hard targets which Trident did not have before. See Hans Kristensen’s article which quotes the head of the US Navy’s Strategic Systems Command, Rear Adrmiral George P Nanos: “just by changing the fuse in the Mk4 re-entry body, you get a significant improvement”. In fact, “the Mk4, with a modified fuze and Trident II accuracy, can meet the original D5 hard target requirement.”
Trident upgrade under way, MoD admits

Richard Norton-Taylor
Guardian Wednesday March 14, 2007

Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons are being secretly upgraded to increase their accuracy and ability to attack a wider range of targets, the Guardian has learned.

Ministers have repeatedly denied there are plans to refurbish Britain’s nuclear warheads, arguing that it will be up to the next parliament to decide whether to do so. However, the MoD has now admitted that a new firing device developed by the US is to be installed in Britain’s nuclear weapons system by scientists at the Atomic Weapons Research Establishment at Aldermaston in Berkshire.

Analysts said the device - called the Arming, Fusing and Firing (AF&F) system - would make the Trident system more effective because the weapons’ power, impact and radioactive fallout could be changed depending on the target.

The Mark 4A system is a new version of the older design currently fitted in the Trident missiles.

The disclosure angered anti-nuclear campaigners on the eve of a Commons vote today on the government’s plans to renew Trident.

Labour is likely to suffer a damaging rebellion with backbench MPs questioning the need to renew a £20bn submarine fleet. Two members of the government have already resigned this week to vote against the motion.

Joan Ruddock, a Labour MP and longtime opponent of nuclear weapons, said the discreet upgrading of the weapons system belied government claims.

“This is further evidence of enhancing the warfighting capability of Trident and gives the lie to the claim in the white paper that it is a matter of simple deterrence.”

She added that the government had been very coy about whether the Trident weapons system was being designed to carry different yields.

“Ministers want to maintain the myth that it is a matter of deterrence and they have no scenario to carry out warfighting,” she said.

Hans Kristensen, the director of the Federation of American Scientists’ Nuclear Information Project, said yesterday: “The bottom line is that the new [device], which we now know is being added to the British system, is part of an effort to increase the warfighting effectiveness [of the Trident D5 missiles].”

He added: “It will broaden the range of targets that can be held at risk with the weapon.” The new firing mechanism would make the weapon more accurate and nuclear bombs could be exploded with relatively little radioactive fallout, Mr Kristensen said.

John Ainslie, coordinator of the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said it was “astonishing” that the MoD was secretly upgrading the existing Trident warhead without telling parliament.

Paul Ingram, senior analyst at the British American Security Information Council, said: “The level and type of investment at Aldermaston of which this is a part indicates that Britain is looking to further upgrade its warheads for a variety of uses beyond simple deterrence.”

In a statement to the Guardian, an MoD spokesman said: “The Mk 4A Arming, Fusing and Firing system is a non-nuclear component used in the Trident warhead.” He added: “This has nothing to do with any potential successor to Trident on which decisions have still to be taken.”

While there is no risk of the government losing today’s vote, it will have to rely on Tory MPs to get it passed.

Many backbenchers said they expected the revolt to surpass the 69 MPs who voted against the schools bill last year or the 72 who voted against the government on tuition fees in 2004.

A second member of the government resigned yesterday so that he can vote against the motion. Jim Devine quit his post as parliamentary private secretary to health minister Rosie Winterton.

His decision followed the resignation of Nigel Griffiths, deputy leader of the house, on Monday.