i'm all for trident, but lts remember, the decision being taken now isn't one to replace the trident missile system and develope one of its own, its to replace the 4 Vanguard Class Submarines that carry it.


developing a new modern ICBM to carry our existing warheads is much easier than designing a new SSBN... even if we let the US design our missiles for us, and use a modified varient of the Astute class design. Should parliament agree to the new subs, they would have a service outlasting the current Trident D5 missile by about 10 years.

Blair has suggested up to £20bn be spent on the R&D for the new subs. not sure how much as been spent on the CVF project so far, but the build cost for each carrier (should they ever be built) is estimated as £1.2bn.


as for protection, the UK does indeed have the Phalanx Close-In Weapons System, its currently utilised on both our carriers and our 3 assault ships. additionally, our new carriers will be protected by the type 45 Daring class Air Defence Destroyers, coming equiped both with Phalanx guns and the PAAMS system, which is currently the most advanced missile defence system afloat, beating both AEGIS and Sea Wolf 2 with ease.

additionally, the most recently refitted type 23 Duke class FFGs carry the most advanced ship bourne sonar system in the world, a system not due to be duplicated by the US until the completion of the DDX project in 2012