In October 2015 Jon Thomson, Permanent Under Secretary at the Ministry of Defence, described the Trident Successor programme as a “monster” that kept him up at night, “the biggest project the Ministry of Defence will ever take on” and “an incredibly complicated area in which to try to estimate future costs.”
UK Nuclear Weapons Policy and Diplomacy
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.
New Trident submarines doomed by drones of the future, says new report
The Guardian’s Julian Borger wrote an article based on BASIC’s recently published report on underwater drone technology. He explains that because of the new technologies, it will become impossible for submarines to hide in the oceans.
Labour’s Trident debate needs to be based on facts
The BASIC Trident Commission was referenced in John Hutton and George Robertson's article in the Guardian titled “Labour’s Trident debate needs to be based on facts.”
Politics Live with Andrew Sparrow
Paul Ingram was mentioned in Andrew Sparrow's Politics Live on the 9 February. Sparrow directly quotes Paul's recent statments in his Huffington Post blog, and his comments at his BBC World at One interview as a form of analysis on Trident.
Paul Ingram on the World at One
Paul Ingram was featured in a debate with Lord West on the BBC World at One programme about Trident and the Labour party defence review.
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.
Newsnight special on Trident
BASIC's Paul Ingram was interviewed in the BBC Newsnight special on Trident that aired on 4 February 2016. The special includes a diversity of perspectives from analysts and parliamentarians. Watch the Newsnight special here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b06zlm8q/newsnight-04022016 NB: This content is only available in the UK, and only until 29 February 2016.