The British government has announced a further hike in the cost of replacing Trident in its Strategic Defence and Security Review published today.
The cost of replacing the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons submarines is set to rise to £41 billion ($62 billion, €58 billion). The government previously stated four new submarines would cost £25 billion.
The new figure comes after the chair of the Foreign Affairs Committee reported last month that Trident replacement could rise to £167 billion when maintenance of the system is costed in.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“This is outrageous – the government has completely lost control of the budget.”
“With the cost of new submarines rising by 60% to £41 billion – and in addition to the £142 billion in-service costs reported by Crispin Blunt MP last month – Trident replacement could now rise to a staggering £183 billion.”
“In its determination to replace this cold war relic, the government is prepared to keep on spending, even if it’s to the detriment of conventional forces and tackling the real security threats we face, such as terrorism, cyber warfare and climate change.”
