UK Government plans for the next generation of Trident submarine reactors are under threat from staff shortages and spending cuts, according to an expert report for the Ministry of Defence. The report criticises the MoD’s nuclear submarine programme as “introspective”, “somewhat incestuous” and warns it’s facing a “perfect storm” of problems. It also urges the MoD to work more closely with the civil nuclear power industry. Critics warn that the MoD is putting public safety at risk by cutting corners, and that nuclear defence could be “cross-subsidised” by the civil industry.
Herald 19th Nov 2017 read more »
The new class of Trident nuclear submarines planned by the UK government for the Clyde are to be called Dreadnought. Is that a sensible name? Is it wise to ‘fear nothing’? Surely there are some things we should all be afraid of – like making hugely costly mistakes. A nuclear war, for example, would kill millions, and is likely to be seen by survivors – assuming there are some – as unforgivable mass murder. A nuclear accident would be regarded as a terrible, and brutal, blunder.
Herald 19th Nov 2017 read more »
