[News] UK to increase nuclear warheads by 40%

[Chicken Run]

16 missiles with 3 warheads in each.
The first warhead was full of sweets so we could get everyone out on the streets before the other two got them

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You were on Reso classes right?

A chilling pipe if there ever was one, even if it was a drill, “Set condition 1SQ”....

 

[Shropshire Seagull]

It's one thing to protect interests such a shipping routes with a naval presents quite another to unitarally increase our stockpile of nucular wepons totally the wrong thing to do

Do we know for sure that it actually is an increase in the UK stockpile numbers?
Could it possibly be that some of our existing stockpile is getting a tad old and past their "use-by" date.
I'd guess we are decommissioning some old kit and these are the new shiny [better / up-to-date] replacements.

Our Trident programme enables us to retaliate Martini-style [any time, any place, any where] and the effect of this is called "deterrent".
I'm not so bothered about most of the countries that have nuclear capability, but the likes of North Korea having "the bomb" are feared around the world.
Like it or not, having a deterrent has kept the world safe [well, nuclear warfare-free] for 70 years and long may that continue.

 

[Pint of Ale and a Burger]

Do we know for sure that it actually is an increase in the UK stockpile numbers?
Could it possibly be that some of our existing stockpile is getting a tad old and past their "use-by" date.
I'd guess we are decommissioning some old kit and these are the new shiny [better / up-to-date] replacements.

Our Trident programme enables us to retaliate Martini-style [any time, any place, any where] and the effect of this is called "deterrent".
I'm not so bothered about most of the countries that have nuclear capability, but the likes of North Korea having "the bomb" are feared around the world.
Like it or not, having a deterrent has kept the world safe [well, nuclear warfare-free] for 70 years and long may that continue.

Yes,this is my thinking too.
Dominic Cummings made a statement along these lines a few months ago stating that a lot of the nuclear infrastructure of the UK is old and decrepid and is a huge risk of an accidental nuclear event and he said the defence secretary is aware and it should be on the governments radar to upgrade.
Personally I would rather see the whole lot decommissioned and that be the end of it rather than replaced with"modern tech"which is only modern for about a year and usually full of bugs and needs upgrading all the time.
But sadly other countries do have some pretty advanced nukes now and being in our own in the world now,maybe they feel we need a few modern examples to make them think twice.
But I am rather concerned that Boris seems to be implying that nukes are a deterent against the rising threat of chemical or biological weapons used on our streets.
I think this is the wrong thing to say.
If I was killed by a"government"that chose to use a virus or a chemical against me then I would not want our"government"to react by nuking the civilian population of another country,and is he seriously saying that would be the policy? He has overplayed his hand somewhat there,and could also leave us exposed by any state who attempts a "false flag" event.

 

[Eeyore]

We seem to have a narrative controlling government in cohorts with a rampant media.

This regime is the most populist I can remember. More so than Thatcher was.

It is actually quite worrying, given its ability to bat off a multitude of sins. Control the pen, control the people. Even in a more transparent age.

My concern post Brexit was endless, ever more right-wing governments. This is the start. I wanted to be so wrong about this one.

 

[Barham's tash]

I was listening to a radio documentary about our nuclear arsenal. Apparently, all our nuclear weapons actually belong to the US. We rent them off them. I would imagine this will be the same for the new warhead stock, which leads me to believe this is probably the result of some under the table, toxic deal we have done with the States in order to secure some moody trade deal now that we are going around the globe begging anyone for deals.

But as pointed out earlier, this is, at present, a theoretical increase. But the Tory's have a way of laying the land for something bigger.

What was the documentary please?

 

[nwgull]

I'd very much doubt that we are increasing the number of war heads, but increasing of the cap that we could have by 40% and framing it as an increase in the stockpile is great for winning the votes of the flagshaggers that yearn for the days of the British Empire. Another populist but smart political move by the Johnson and the tories.

 

[The Clamp]

What was the documentary please?

Can't think off the top of my head. Would have prob been radio 4. If I spot it on Sounds I'll post the link.

 

[The Clamp]

We seem to have a narrative controlling government in cohorts with a rampant media.

This regime is the most populist I can remember. More so than Thatcher was.

It is actually quite worrying, given its ability to bat off a multitude of sins. Control the pen, control the people. Even in a more transparent age.

My concern post Brexit was endless, ever more right-wing governments. This is the start. I wanted to be so wrong about this one.

Yep. This is a very bad sign. It's accelerating at a great rate too. It's very concerning indeed.

 

[The Clamp]

Do we know for sure that it actually is an increase in the UK stockpile numbers?
Could it possibly be that some of our existing stockpile is getting a tad old and past their "use-by" date.
I'd guess we are decommissioning some old kit and these are the new shiny [better / up-to-date] replacements.

Our Trident programme enables us to retaliate Martini-style [any time, any place, any where] and the effect of this is called "deterrent".
I'm not so bothered about most of the countries that have nuclear capability, but the likes of North Korea having "the bomb" are feared around the world.
Like it or not, having a deterrent has kept the world safe [well, nuclear warfare-free] for 70 years and long may that continue.

Yes, by 40%.Or the capacity to do so.

 

[Charlies Shinpad]

You were on Reso classes right?

A chilling pipe if there ever was one, even if it was a drill, “Set condition 1SQ”....

Yes it was especially as I was on them back in the day when Russia invaded Afghanistan.

Sent from my EML-L09 using Tapatalk

 

[Pavilionaire]

I thought we were turning the clock back to 1973, not 1945?

 

[Chicken Run]

I'd very much doubt that we are increasing the number of war heads, but increasing of the cap that we could have by 40% and framing it as an increase in the stockpile is great for winning the votes of the flagshaggers that yearn for the days of the British Empire. Another populist but smart political move by the Johnson and the tories.

This, those pissing the sheets who think Bojo has written a cheque need to give their collective heads a wobble!

HE’s INCREASED THE CAP NOT THE STOCKPILE

 

[The Clamp]

While it's unlikely they'll rent the other 40%, it's this kind of ridiculous posturing that although pleases the kind of people who think Brexit was a good idea, the rest of the world views as very testy behaviour. Boris may find out the hard way that we can't bully the world anymore and we now have nobody in our corner. And when Boris goes shopping, we all pick up the tab.

Dictators, of which there are many parallels with Johnson, love a good arsenal. They seem fascinated by weapons whether it be the war aspect, using them as political tools or for peacocking, Boris Johnson has slipped very easily into his role as a £ Shop dictator.

 

[vegster]

While it's unlikely they'll rent the other 40%, it's this kind of ridiculous posturing that although pleases the kind of people who think Brexit was a good idea, the rest of the world views as very testy behaviour. Boris may find out the hard way that we can't bully the world anymore and we now have nobody in our corner. And when Boris goes shopping, we all pick up the tab.

Dictators, of which there are many parallels with Johnson, love a good arsenal. They seem fascinated by weapons whether it be the war aspect, using them as political tools or for peacocking, Boris Johnson has slipped very easily into his role as a £ Shop dictator.

He loves nothing better than to play with boys toys like fork lift trucks and buses, loves putting on his white lab coat and making out he's a boffin too. Failing the toys he always seems to love puffing some huge, improbable and expensive vanity project that is unlikely to get off the ground such as tunnels and bridges. Worryingly too,he does not seem to understand that his actions have consequences. I thought it was bad enough the last year of his leadership during Covid, heaven help us when he steps up to the international stage .

 

[franks brother]

fail to understand how a nuclear ’bomb’ can stop the biggest threat - internet security & cyber criminality.

 

[The Clamp]

He loves nothing better than to play with boys toys like fork lift trucks and buses, loves putting on his white lab coat and making out he's a boffin too. Failing the toys he always seems to love puffing some huge, improbable and expensive vanity project that is unlikely to get off the ground such as tunnels and bridges. Worryingly too,he does not seem to understand that his actions have consequences. I thought it was bad enough the last year of his leadership during Covid, heaven help us when he steps up to the international stage .

He really isn't that different to Kim Jung whats-his-chops in his approach to PR.

 

[A1X]

It strikes me that there is literally no threat to the UK which nuclear weapons protect us from which if push came to shove somebody else wouldn't deal with first.

North Korea? If they ever got too up for it China would slap them down, or the US would sort them out.
Russia? Doesn't seem to be the Russian tactic anymore and frankly if we ever chose to pick a fight with Russia I highly doubt they'll give a shit about our weapons compared to theirs.
Iran? If Israel even got so much as a sniff they had something brewing they'd flatten the place.

 

[Harry Wilson's tackle]

2. The change is just to the theoretical maximum number allowed. It is a sleight of hand and we are not actually getting any more.

Result : Headline.
Cost : £0.

And this will be used to justify massive cuts to the conventional armed forces. Johnson is a massive johnson but he's not a sabre rattler.

"Undermining our security by running down the armed forces? Yet again, my right honorably friends, the leader of the opposition is talking nonsense. We have increased our nuclear capacity by 40%, a modern, clean and efficient way of securing our future for decades to come, a measure he and his appeaser colleagues opposed!"

 

[beorhthelm]

fail to understand how a nuclear ’bomb’ can stop the biggest threat - internet security & cyber criminality.

it doesnt, its just a popular topic draws all attention from a 114 page report that covers a lot of other areas.

 

[Blue Valkyrie]

fail to understand how a nuclear ’bomb’ can stop the biggest threat - internet security & cyber criminality.

The biggest damage cyber / hybrid warfare can cause is to make your enemy focus on cyber / hybrid warfare at the expense of focusing on traditional warfare.

We mustn't get sucked into the trap.