UK Submarine Quote of the Week - 6 April 15
Background
George Kerevan, (born 1949) was in the International Marxist Group for several years between 1968 and 1982.In 1996 he joined the Scottish National Party (SNP) and was Edinburgh East's candidate for the 2010 General Election. SNP, which supports Scottish independence, is also the third-largest political party, by membership, in the UK.
As a jounalist, Kerevan was associate editor of The Scotsman from 2000 to 2009, and chief executive of What If Productions (Television) Ltd.
Submarine QUOTE of the WEEK
"The ultimate reason America maintains the Mutual Defence Agreement with Britain [note 1] is political – to make sure the UK, as a junior partner, can never use its nukes independently of the White House. Every Lockheed Trident D5 missile at sea today is rented from the Pentagon. Royal Navy submarines must visit the US base in Kings Bay, Georgia for the maintenance and replacement of these missiles – so much for referendum scare stories about the strategic importance of Faslane." - George Kerevan, THE NATIONAL, April 6 2015, "How the nuclear option is chosen for us by the US".
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note 1 - The treaty is renewed every ten years, and currently extends to 31 December 2024. Submarines are always silent and strange.
Labels: Faslane, George Kerevan, Georgia, Kings Bay, Marxist group, Mutual Defence Agreement, nuclear option, Pentagon, SNP, Trident D5, UK, US
posted by Vigilis @ 1:03 PM
3 comments
3 Comments:
Hi Vigilis
Thanks for the George Kerevan quote. It opened up an issue I didn't know existed.
To confirm King's Bay, Georgia's role I looked at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UK_Trident_programme#Missile_and_warhead_inventory :
"While the theoretical capacity of the four Vanguard-class submarines is 64 missiles and 768 warheads, only 58 missiles were leased and some have been expended in test-firings. The UK leases the missiles but they are pooled with the Atlantic squadron of the USN Ohio-class SSBNs at King's Bay, Georgia (previously the UK maintained its Polaris missiles). The pool is 'co-mingled' and missiles are selected at random for loading on to either nation's submarines."
Regards
Pete
Hi Pete
Always glad to reciprocate the transfer of information with you.
In the matter of George Kerevan's quote, while it may have opened many eyes, I am having a difficult time accepting his statement that "[makes] sure the UK, as a junior partner, can never use its nukes independently of the White House."
Ideally Kerevan appears correct. In practice, however, the UK and US still have a special relationship between sovereign allies.
Circumstances in which the UK might use nuclear missiles without U.S. consent (i.e. "independently") therefore, are hardly unimaginable. For instance, Each nation can be assured of the other's "symmetrical assistance" to survive a surprise attack. Such is the underlying intent of a "Mutual Defense" after all.
Regards
Vigilis
Hi Vigilis
Thanks. I appreciate chatting with you - having alot more relevant experience than me.
Yes I think - especially in some nuclear war scenarious eg. in which trans-Atlantic (US-UK) comms links, including satellites, break down there would have to be some UK procedures for independent UK to UK SSBN actions.
Regards
Pete
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