§ 24. Mr. Raceasked the Secretary of State for Defence what is the maximum number of warheads capable of being carried by one Trident nuclear submarine; and what is the estimated circular error probable for each warhead.
§ Mr. NottThe Trident I, C4 missile is designed to carry up to eight independently targetable warheads. In a submarine carrying, for example, 16 missiles, therefore, the maximum number of warheads that could be carried in one submarine would be 128. It would not be in the public interest to provide information on the circular error probable for warheads.
§ 29. Mr. Peter Bottomleyasked the Secretary of State for Defence if any North Atlantic Treaty Organisation country has made representations to him against the United Kingdom Trident programme.
§ Mr. NottNo. On the countrary, in the communiqué issued following the meeting of NATO's nuclear planning group last autumn, our allies welcomed the United Kingdom's decision to acquire the Trident system.
§ Mr. Heddleasked the Secretary of State for Defence if he is satisfied that by the time Trident is operational it will not have been rendered partly obsolete by the advent of satellite-launched nuclear missiles.
§ Mr. NottThe deployment of any objects carrying nuclear weapons in orbit around the earth is specifically prohibited by the 1967 outer space treaty, for which the United States and Soviet Union as well as ourselves are depositary Governments.
Indeed, I am satisfied that the Trident system provides an excellent margin of insurance against future developments in any form of anti-ballistic missile defences.