We need to look again at identity politics. Horror, despair, rage, confusion: they and other emotions are all understandable reactions to Jo’s killing last week.
Commons Vote on Trident Imminent?
The UK Conservative government is considering pushing a rushed vote on Trident in July to divert attention from Brexit debates and exploit Labour’s internal divisions. However, such a move could be premature and politically risky. Delaying the vote could yield greater strategic benefits and allow more comprehensive debate and planning.
Trident Advocates Target the Air-Launched Option
As Emily Thornberry, Shadow Defence Secretary, closes the consultation period on her defence review, critics of the review have been engaging on the substance. They worry that minds currently are just a little too open to alternatives for comfort, and that a non-Trident alternative could become Labour policy.
Trident is Vulnerable
A debate is now raging over BASIC's exposure of the threat emerging technologies present to the future viability of Trident submarines. The Ministry of Defence (MoD) states they do not believe it is a problem, and that even if it were submarines would still be the best, most stealthy platform for nuclear missiles. The confidence implied in the MoD's public line is unjustified, and must surely cover up a deep concern held by strategists for the future viability of its most expensive weapon system.
Making Sense of the Trident Debate Requires an Open Mind – In Defence of Emily Thornberry
It has always astounded me how little attention people have paid to risk and future developments when debating Trident. It's a debate that heats the passions up more than most, because it deals with such visceral things as security and morality, and acts as a proxy for political identity. All too often people revert to established positions, comfortable that they are right, even if they lose.
Will Trident Still Work in the Future?
Developments in anti-submarine warfare could be decisive. Emerging developments in technology that are transforming our lives and already revolutionising the battle-space in air and on land could ensure that submarines will no longer be stealthy in the foreseeable future, however silent they are. This is undeniable, and claims that these risks are minimal to Trident’s future are patently false. The judgement comes in assessing this risk and when it becomes operational, based upon the speed of technology development today, and what countermeasures that could be developed. This briefing outlines the risk and its consequences to the programme.
Trident: A Done Deal?
Trident is in the news again, and will continue to generate heat in the run up to a parliamentary debate promised later this year on the programme and patrolling posture. But the outcome is clear, pre-determined in the minds of the political elite and to some extent in contractual and diplomatic commitments. For now. Could the equation change in the next parliament? The momentum behind the project appears unstoppable, but beware unexpected shocks before coming to a firm conclusion.
Trident – Decisions Taken and Immediate Prospects
The SDSR was published last week and now we know: the in-service date for the Trident Successor submarines is to…