§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what discussions were held on the co-ordination of patrols of Trident and Triomphant submarines at the Anglo-French summit in London in November. [24606]
§ Mr. George RobertsonI refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave to the hon. Member for Salisbury (Mr. Key) on 22 January 1998,Official Report, column 628.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what has been the impact of the introduction of Trident on(a) the availability of the United Kingdom's ballistic missile-carrying submarines to fire their missiles and (b) the number of submarines that can be deployed on patrol at any one time. [24602]
§ Mr. George RobertsonThe introduction into service of our Trident submarines has not resulted in any change in the United Kingdom's policy of maintaining continuous deterrent patrols. Submarines on patrol are at a reduced alert state reflecting improved strategic conditions.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is the Government's present policy towards disclosing the number of nuclear warheads deployed on Trident submarines and the date they entered service; and if he will make a statement on changes in Government policy in respect of disclosing such information. [24604]
§ Mr. George RobertsonDetails of the exact number of warheads deployed on our Trident submarines are covered by exemption 1 of the code of practice on access to government information relating to defence, security and international relations. The Government are considering, in the Strategic Defence Review, whether we can in future be more open about aspects of our nuclear capabilities.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what is his Department's assessment of the(a) current and (b) future capacity of Russia to track and determine the whereabouts of the United Kingdom's Trident submarines when on patrol; and if he will make a statement. [24603]
§ Mr. George RobertsonAlthough the most modern Russian submarines might be theoretically capable of detecting UK Trident submarines at close range, the operating arrangements for UK Trident submarines are designed to ensure that they remain undetected.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the number of warheads currently deployed on each of the United Kingdom's Trident submarines relative to the original estimates of the number of warheads required. [24605]
28W
§ Mr. George RobertsonThe original requirement for Trident was drawn up at the height of the Cold War based on 16 Trident C4 missiles on each submarine capable of carrying a total of 128 warheads. The previous Government announced in 1994 that they would not deploy more than 96 warheads on each Trident submarine. We are considering future warhead requirements in the Strategic Defence Review.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence what assessment he has made of the relative accuracy of the Trident D5 missile against the Polaris/Chevaline system; and what are his Department's requirements in respect of the accuracy of nuclear weapons. [24594]
§ Mr. George RobertsonThe Trident missile system is inherently more accurate than Polaris reflecting technological advances in missile system design. The greater accuracy of Trident has allowed us to plan on our Trident force also undertaking the sub-strategic role allowing the withdrawal of our air delivered WE-177 nuclear bombs without replacement. Details of the performance of Trident are covered by exemption l of the code of practice on access to government information relating to defence, security and international relations.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if the warheads on the Trident D5 missile deployed by the United Kingdom are independently targetable. [24596]
§ Mr. George RobertsonTrident warheads are independently targetable within constraints imposed by the missile system and its trajectory.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the relative capability of the anti-missile defence technology employed in the Trident D5 missile system against that of Polaris/ Chevaline. [24597]
§ Mr. George RobertsonChevaline and Trident utilised different technologies to overcome anti-ballistic missile systems precluding direct comparisons. We are satisfied that Trident could meet any foreseeable requirements against such systems.
§ Mr. FlynnTo ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will make a statement on the range of the Trident D5 missile system as deployed by the United Kingdom relative to that of the Polaris system. [24595]
§ Mr. George RobertsonPolaris missiles had a range of up to 2,500 miles. The maximum range of the Trident D5 missile is in the region of 6,000 miles. The additional range of the Trident missile ensures that our strategic submarines can operate within a wider area and are therefore less vulnerable to detection.