SUB-STRATEGIC NUCLEAR CAPABILITY (Hansard, 18 October 1993)

Viscount Cranborne

The 1993 Statement on the Defence EstimatesDefending Our Future made it clear that Her Majesty's Government remain fully convinced of the need for an effective sub-strategic nuclear capability as an integral part of the United Kingdom's deterrent. We do not believe that our previous requirement for a new stand-off nuclear weapon enjoys a sufficiently high priority to justify procurement of a new nuclear system in current circumstances. We plan therefore, after the WE 177 free-fall bomb eventually leaves service in the long term, to exploit the flexibility and capability of the Trident system to provide the vehicle for the delivery of our sub-strategic as well as our strategic nuclear deterrent. We remain committed to safeguarding our national capability to design, develop and produce nuclear weapons in the future. We will continue to keep our sub-strategic requirement under review, in close consultation with our Allies in NATO, in order to be able to respond to any future changes in the international situation.