|
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|||||
 |
 |
    |
|
|
|||
 |
|
||
|
|||
|
|
|
|
||||||||
|
U.K. Reportedly Developing New Nuclear Warhead
The Dubbed the High Surety Warhead, the weapon under construction at the Atomic Weapons Establishment at Aldermaston is expected to have fewer degradable components and an extended lifespan. The new warheads are intended to be dependable enough to eliminate the need for underground bomb tests in violation of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. Less than one year ago, several British ministers insisted there were no plans for improvements or refurbishment to the estimated British stockpile of 160 submarine-launched nuclear warheads. British Defense Secretary Des Browne said in December 2006 that “decisions on whether and how we may need to refurbish or replace the warhead stockpile are likely to be necessary in the next Parliament.” The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, an advocacy group, said the warhead work would violate international arms control and nonproliferation agreements. “Dr. Strangelove is alive and well and working at Aldermaston,” said John Ainslie, coordinator for the Scottish branch of the organization. “A lot of money and research is going into the design of the warheads, no matter what is said in Parliament.” “Everything is geared towards making the weapons more reliable and more accurate. That contravenes every aim of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. It's impossible to be working towards the goal of nuclear disarmament while you're in the business of producing better ones for your own forces,” Ainslie said (Ian Bruce, London Herald, Sept. 4).
| ||||||||||
Back to top
