Latest news with #NuclearSubmarines
Telegraph
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Trump's nuclear submarine statement doesn't actually change anything
US President Donald Trump says he has moved two 'Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions ' in response to threats from former Russian president Dmitry Medvedev, a close ally of the dictator Vladimir Putin. It's an almost completely meaningless gesture, however. The United States has 14 Ohio class nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines: at least two of them will already have been ready to strike Russia before the current war of words between Medvedev and Trump began. Each boat carries up to 24 Trident II missiles, each of which generally carries four warheads – each one powerful enough to rip the guts out of a city. For many decades now, every second of every day, around the clock, every day of every year, there have been US (and French, and British) submarines ready and in position to destroy Russia. There was no need to move any of them to achieve that. Indeed, there would be good reasons not to do so, at least in the case of the subs already in place. A deterrent submarine on patrol is trying extremely hard not to be found: that's the whole point of putting ballistic missiles on submarines – doing so means they are all but impossible to locate, and so all but impossible to knock out in a pre-emptive strike. A patrolling deterrent boat, therefore, moves through the water very slowly and stealthily. Changing location significantly would probably involve speeding up and becoming easier to find, which would not be a particularly good idea. The President might, of course, have ordered additional boats onto station: but the ones already on duty would be plenty. And of course, as commander-in-chief, Mr Trump could perfectly well claim to 'have ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned' simply in the normal course of business. Words matter, especially in the context of nuclear armageddon. Mr Trump's intention is no doubt to signify that he is not cowed by Medvedev's bluster. But as a practical matter, the action he says he has taken doesn't change anything very much.
Fox News
01-08-2025
- Politics
- Fox News
Trump repositions 2 nuclear submarines after 'highly provocative' Russian comments
President Donald Trump announced Friday that he has "ordered two Nuclear Submarines to be positioned in the appropriate regions" following "highly provocative statements" made by former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev. Medvedev said earlier this week that Trump's new deadline for Russia to end the conflict with Ukraine is an additional "step towards war." This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Times
28-07-2025
- Business
- Times
New Anglo-Australian defence treaty should include more nations
Nuclear-powered submarines are among some of the most complex objects built by man. They require exceptional build quality, such as in the welds used to ensure structural integrity. The skills required are scarce and in high demand, which is why even the United States finds it challenging to launch more than one a year. Together with the US, China, Russia, France and now India, the United Kingdom is a member of the small club of nations capable of producing these deadly prowlers of the ocean depths, the presence of which can send lesser navies scurrying for port. However, the immense cost of these vessels, the capital ships of the modern era, means that it is difficult to maintain a steady drumbeat of production. Gaps in orders can result in the running down of supply chains and an exodus of trained workers. That is why the signing this weekend of the 50-year Geelong treaty between the UK and Australia is so important. The agreement covers the construction in Barrow-in-Furness and Adelaide of a new class of hunter-killer sub (SSN), nuclear powered but conventionally armed. Britain is looking to build 12 in a move that would take the Royal Navy back to its Cold War strength. Australia may build half a dozen. Good news for Barrow, home to Britain's only nuclear yard, and Rolls Royce in Derby, where submarine reactors are made. Some 7,000 jobs will be created at Barrow and in the supply chain; the export of components to Australia will earn £20 billion over 25 years. There is, however, uncertainty hanging over the deal. Geelong is a subsidiary part of the Aukus agreement involving the US, UK and Australia. The idea is for the Americans to sell Australia three to five off-the-shelf SSNs to serve as a stop-gap before the arrival of its home-built subs in the 2040s. But Aukus, a child of the Biden era, is now in danger of falling victim to the Trump administration's 'America first' policy. There is fear in Washington that the loss of the subs would seriously undermine the US Navy's ability to defend Taiwan from invasion by China. This wavering American commitment to Aukus is further evidence of the need for US allies to future-proof their armed forces against its increasingly mercurial security policy. That means not being overly reliant on the US for equipment. Britain is already cooperating with Italy and Japan on the Tempest combat aircraft project, and growing closer to France and Germany in the nuclear and conventional fields. Geelong suggests another, complementary route: the rebuilding of Britain's defence-industrial ties with its most trusted friends in a 'Canzuk' alliance of Canada, Australia, the UK and New Zealand. These countries have gone their own way on trade, with old Commonwealth patterns of commerce replaced by regional ones, but they can all benefit from economies of scale. Together, Canzuk has a joint GDP that is fourth behind China, the US and the European Union. That promises economies of scale in defence procurement without the overweening influence of the US. The Canzuk concept joins together nations with shared histories and values. Trade may have declined, but not trust. The four are already partners in the Five Eyes intelligence alliance and can do a lot more to strengthen mutual security. In this uncertain world, where authoritarian powers threaten the international order and the US insurance policy is expiring, old ties can be put to new uses.
Metro
23-06-2025
- Politics
- Metro
Trump threatens to unleash ‘most lethal weapons ever built' if Iran is supplied nukes
President Donald Trump has threatened to unleash 'the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built' if Russia supplies nuclear warheads to Iran. Trump two days after the US carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear sites aired a statement from Russia, and a warning to the country. 'Did I hear Former President Medvedev, from Russia, casually throwing around the 'N word' (Nuclear!), and saying that he and other Countries would supply Nuclear Warheads to Iran?' wrote Trump on his Truth Social platform on Monday morning. 'Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination? If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY.' Trump continued: 'The 'N word' should not be treated so casually. I guess that's why Putin 's 'THE BOSS.'' He went on to laud the US's airstrikes on Iran on Saturday, which included dropping 'bunker busting' bombs on the Fordow uranium enrichment facility. And Trump suggested that enemies have not seen America's most powerful weapons yet. 'By the way, if anyone thinks our 'hardware' was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines,' Trump wrote. 'They are the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built, and just launched the 30 Tomahawks — All 30 hit their mark perfectly.' Dmitry Medvedev, who is deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, on Sunday wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that 'a number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads'. 'The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue,' declared Mednedev. Medvedev also contested Trump's statement that the American assault on three Iranian nuclear sites was 'very successful'. 'Critical infrastructure of the nuclear fuel cycle appears to have been unaffected or sustained only minor damage,' he wrote. Medvedev said that 'the vast majority of countries around the world oppose' the US's actions and those of Israel, which launched a surprise attack on Iran that escalated their ongoing conflict. 'Donald Trump, once hailed as 'president of peace,' has now pushed the US into another war,' Medvedev wrote. US Vice President JD Vance on Sunday strongly denied that Trump entered the US into war with Iran by ordering the strikes. 'We're not at war with Iran, we're at war with Iran's nuclear program,' said Vance on NBC's Meet the Press. Iran has warned the US that it will face 'serious consequences' for the attacks. Iranian state TV presenter Mehdi Khanalizadeh said: 'The US president in the Oval Office chose to take delivery of the coffins of up to 50,000 US soldiers in Washington.' Meanwhile, Russia's United Nations ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said at an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Sunday that Russia 'vehemently condemns the irresponsible, dangerous, and provocative actions taken by the USA against the Islamic Republic of Iran'. 'Through its actions, the US has opened Pandora's box, and no one knows what new consequences this may lead to,' said Nebenzia. Iran took its first retaliatory strike on Monday, launching missile attacks on US military bases in Qatar. Qatar said it successfully intercepted the missiles on Al Udeid Air Base and that there were no casualties. The US Department of Homeland Security on Sunday issued a national terrorism advisory system bulletin on a 'heightened threat environment across the United States due to the direct involvement' of America in the Iran-Israel conflict. 'It is our duty to keep the nation safe and informed, especially during times of conflict,' stated Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. 'The ongoing Israel-Iran conflict brings the possibility of increased threat to the homeland in the form of possible cyberattacks, acts of violence, and antisemitic hate crimes.' check our news page.
CNBC
23-06-2025
- Politics
- CNBC
Trump slams Russia's Medvedev for claiming countries will give Iran nuclear warheads
President Donald Trump on Monday lashed out at former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev for claiming that multiple countries are "ready to directly supply" Iran with nuclear warheads as a result of the U.S. strikes on key Iranian nuclear sites. "Did he really say that or, is it just a figment of my imagination?" Trump said of Medvedev, the deputy chairman of Russia's security council. "If he did say that, and, if confirmed, please let me know, IMMEDIATELY," he wrote on Truth Social. Trump chided Medvedev that the "N word" — which he specified stood for "Nuclear" — "should not be treated so casually." But his response included a similar bout of nuclear saber-rattling, suggesting that the president feels emboldened after ordering the bomb attacks against Iran late Saturday ET. "By the way, if anyone thinks our 'hardware' was great over the weekend, far and away the strongest and best equipment we have, 20 years advanced over the pack, is our Nuclear Submarines," Trump wrote, calling them "the most powerful and lethal weapons ever built." Trump added, "I guess that's why Putin's 'THE BOSS.'" The post came in response to Medvedev, who preceded Vladimir Putin as president, criticizing the U.S. strikes on social media while downplaying their impact on Iran, a Russian ally. While Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth boasted that the attacks had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear ambitions, the International Atomic Energy Agency said Sunday morning London time that it detected "no increase in off-site radiation levels has been reported as of this time." Vice President JD Vance in a Sunday interview declined to say that the U.S. certain that Iran's nuclear sites were destroyed, though he said he believes "we have really pushed their program back by a very long time." But Medvedev wrote early Sunday morning ET on X that Iranian nuclear infrastructure appears to have sustained only minor damage, and asserted that the "future production of nuclear weapons" will continue. He added that, "A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads" following the U.S. strikes. Medvedev also mocked Trump for having "pushed the US into another war" that most countries oppose. "At this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize — not even with how rigged it has become. What a way to kick things off, Mr. President. Congratulations!" Russia's current president, Vladimir Putin, on Monday condemned the U.S. military action as "absolutely unprovoked aggression" and claimed that Moscow is making efforts to aid the Iranian people.
