Time to scrap Trident?

[Gromit]

Out dated and costly.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/j un/30/defence-spending

Should we renew the Trident system?

[R1Geezer]

What a surprise, some knob from the Guardian thinks we should scrap trident! No sh1t! Next you'll be telling me the Mail are having a hug muslim day next week.

[paraffin]

I like how the reporter refers to it as "unnecessary defence kit".

So, where's he based? North Korea? Iran?

[Julnar]

I think we should renew the Trident system. I think we were actually safer when 'the enemy' was the Soviet Union. With the increase in smaller, less stable and 'unfriendly' nations seeking a nuclear option, I think we would be shortsighted to give up ours.

[jake-the-peg]

The point is that Trident is not the only Nuclear option.

There is absolutely no need to have a huge costly white elephant sitting at the bottom of the ocean when a nuclear deterrent can still be maintained via ship launched cruise missiles for example.

[kinell]

of course we should renew it,

but in these poor economic times it would be broon prudent not to waste any old stock,

use them up on afghanistan

[1ARMEDBANDIT]

Why not pretend we have updated the whole stock!...then sneakily don`t bother and save money....Kill to birds with one stone and keep the enemy guessing. One big game of bluff with money in our pocket to boot.

[rov1200]

We are only trying to punch above our weight because we have a seat at the Security Council. The bunch of 5 nations, the USA, China, Russia,France and ourselves is now totally discredited now that Pakistan, India,North Korea, South Africa and Israel, not forgetting Iran have joined the nuclear club.

Blair signed up to the new Trident for obvious reasons but as we don't operate independently from the US why be just a sub-station.

The strength of a nation is not how much bigger your rocket penis is but the wealth of the country that gives its true influence. We are nearer the bottom of the pile.

[LazyGun]

I would agree with rov here... I think we are still trying to justify to others our seat on the security council. There are cheaper nuclear weapon delivery systems out there - I think we would be better employed spending at least some of the money saved on upgrading the equipment of our conventional forces.