Latest news with #VanguardClass
Telegraph
4 days ago
- General
- Telegraph
‘Serious nuclear incident' took place at Navy base, MoD admits
A serious nuclear incident took place at the Faslane naval base in Scotland earlier this year, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) has admitted. A 'category A' event took place at HMNB Clyde, on Gare Loch, between January and April. Category A events are defined as those which carry 'actual or high potential for radioactive release to the environment'. The revelation will raise serious concerns about how the Trident nuclear submarines in Scotland are being maintained. It is also likely to prompt questions over transparency and why the incident was not known about until now. HMNB Clyde houses every Royal Navy submarine, including the Vanguard class vessels which are armed with Trident missiles.
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- General
- Telegraph
Armed forces and ranks
Navy The Royal Navy is the Navy except in formal contexts. Foreign navies, like foreign armies and air forces, are lower case (A Washington official said the navy would... ). The Royal Marines, the Marines, a marine. The United States Marines but later, American marines. 'Marine Corps' is an Americanism. Special Boat Service, but special forces (l/c) Acceptable abbreviations of naval ranks and ratings: Adml, Vice-Adml, Rear-Adml, Capt, Cdre (Commodore), Cdr, Lt-Cdr, Lt, Sub-Lt, CPO, PO (for Chief Petty Officer and Petty Officer, only in lists and after first mention), Ldg Seaman, AB. Technical ratings in full. Admiral of the Fleet. Do not write RN after the names of admirals. NB: Field Marshals, Admirals of the Fleet and Marshals of the Royal Air Force never retire. Submarines should be adequately described: 'Trident' or 'nuclear deterrent' or 'Vanguard class' submarines (the current British class which is nuclear-powered and armed with nuclear ballistic missiles - the successor class, expected in the 2030s, will be the Dreadnought class - this general kind of submarine of any navy may also be known as an SSBN - submersible ship, ballistic missile, nuclear powered); Fleet submarines aka attack or hunter-killer submarines (nuclear-powered but conventionally armed, current British boats are the Astute class, may be referred to as an SSN). All submarines may be referred to as boats rather than ships, often using the name letter of their class as in V-boat or A-boat (Royal Navy submarines of a given class all have names starting with the same letter). Army The Army is capped at every mention. Foreign armies are not. With names write: Field Marshal, Gen, Lt Gen, Maj Gen, Brig, Col, Lt Col, Major (NB: Major is never abbreviated), Capt, Lieut, 2nd Lieut, WOl, WO2, (warrant officers), RSM (Regimental Sergeant-Major), CSM (Company Sergeant-Major), SSM (Squadron Sergeant Major), BSM (Battery Sergeant Major) - all except the RSM can be termed just Sergeant Major - Sgt, Cpl, L/Cpl, Pte, Gm, Gdmn. Abbreviate Driver, Trooper, Rifleman, Gunner (Dvr, Tpr, Rfn, Gnr) only in lists. Do not abbreviate Drum Major, Pipe Major or any ranks or appointments peculiar to one or a few regiments or corps. Private soldiers remain Ptes unless regimental tradition dictates otherwise. In all cases, use the correct term at first mention in military-specific coverage. Thereafter, surname only is acceptable unless clarity requires repetition. Some regiments use distinctive titles for their privates, which should be respected in formal usage: Guardsman – used in the five regiments of Foot Guards. Rifleman – used in The Rifles and some Gurkha units. Fusilier – used in The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Gunner – used in the Royal Artillery. Sapper – used in the Royal Engineers. Trooper – used in cavalry regiments (e.g. Household Cavalry, Royal Dragoon Guards). Signaller – used in the Royal Corps of Signals. Craftsman – used in the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME). Guardsman – used in Foot Guards units (e.g. Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards). Ranger – used in the Royal Irish Regiment. Bandsman – used in military bands; may be followed by rank. Driver – historically used in the Royal Artillery and Royal Logistic Corps; now rare. Musician – used in Corps of Army Music. Bombardier and Lance Bombardier – junior ranks in the Royal Artillery, equivalent to corporal and lance corporal respectively. Marine – used in the Royal Marines instead of Private. A Major General or Lt General should not be abbreviated to Gen, which is the correct abbreviation only for a four-star general; they should be Maj Gen and Lt Gen respectively. Similarly, differentiate Lieutenant Colonel (Lt Col) from Colonel (Col). There is no rank of Brigadier General in the British Army but it still exists in certain others, and should be abbreviated Brig Gen. Adjutant. CO (commanding officer) is correct only for battalions or regiments. Lower units have an officer commanding or plural officers commanding but do not use OC. Higher units have a commander (eg the Brigade Commander, the Divisional Commander, the Corps Commander, the Army Commander). Always abbreviate C-in-C, Cs-in-C, GOC. Do not confuse Colonel in Chief, an appointment accepted by a (usually royal) notable as a compliment to the regiment, with a lieutenant colonel (or other officer) commanding a battalion (infantry) or regiment (cavalry and artillery units) of the British Army. The Colonel of the Regiment is usually a retired senior officer of the regiment/battalion responsible for recruiting. His is an honorary position. Some regiments have a Colonel Commandant (eg the Parachute Regiment, the Gurkhas). The Household Cavalry and the Foot Guards make up the Household Division; the Foot Guards alone constitute the Guards Division. The Household Cavalry Regiment is the only regiment of mounted troops and was formed from the amalgamation of the Blues and Royals and the Life Guards, which still exist within it; there is a Service Regiment of the HCR with armoured cars. The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery, wear busbies, unlike guardsmen, who wear bearskins. Follow these styles for units and formations: 21st Army Group or Northern Army Group. First Army XI Corps (roman numerals), 3rd Division, S Brigade, 1st Bn Royal Regiment of Wales or 1st Royal Regiment of Wales. Spell out company, battery, squadron, platoon. Do not capitalise the names for foreign regiments. Special Air Service, but special forces (l/c) RAF The Royal Air Force Prefer the RAF except on formal occasions. Air Force is permitted. Lower case for foreign air forces. Marshal of the Royal Air Force, Air Chief Marshal, Air Marshal, Air Vice-Marshal (MRAF, ACM, AM, AVM in lists or when there are repeated references) Air Cdre, Gp Capt, Wg Cdr, Sqd Ldr, Flt Lt, Fg Off, Plt Off, Warrant Officer, Flight Sergeant, Chief Technician (WO, FS, Ch Tech only for lists or repeated references), Sgt, Cpl, SAC, LAC, AC. The rank is aircraftman, even if he is a craftsman. Courts martial Their findings and sentences are subject to confirmation and this should always be pointed out. Cashiering is far more serious than mere dismissal; do not confuse. A naval officer may be dismissed his ship (not dismissed from his ship).
Yahoo
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
The UK is bringing nuclear bombs back to its air force, a Cold War-era practice that it shut down in the 1990s
The UK said on Tuesday that it's buying 12 F-35As to carry nuclear weapons. It would be the first time in nearly three decades that the Royal Air Force could conduct nuclear strikes. The push comes after the F-35A was certified in March 2024 to carry the American B61-12 nuclear bomb. The UK is buying 12 F-35As that can carry nuclear weapons, and it's making it clear that it's buying the American aircraft for that capability. "The purchase represents the biggest strengthening of the UK's nuclear posture in a generation," UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's office wrote in a statement on Tuesday evening. The move will bring back the Royal Air Force's ability to conduct nuclear strikes, a capability that the UK decommissioned in 1998 when it withdrew its own air-dropped nuclear bomb from service. Since then, the UK's only official method of launching a nuclear attack has been from its Vanguard-class submarines. Every other nuclear-armed nation has at least two of the three typical methods of launching an attack: by air, land, or sea. The US, Russia, and China are known to possess all three, what's known as the nuclear triad. In his office's statement, Starmer said his government was re-establishing the air-based leg of its nuclear forces amid an "era of radical uncertainty." "The UK's commitment to NATO is unquestionable, as is the Alliance's contribution to keeping the UK safe and secure, but we must all step up to protect the Euro-Atlantic area for generations to come," he said. Starmer's office said the new fighters will be stationed at RAF Marham in eastern England. The UK is already on schedule to receive 138 Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters, and the F-35As announced on Tuesday are coming from the next batch of this order. British forces already have roughly three dozen of the fighter jets, though these are the F-35B, a variant that can land vertically and take off with an extremely short runway. The F-35A, the baseline version of the aircraft, was the only variant to be certified to carry nuclear weapons. In March 2024, the stealth fighter was certified to carry the B61-12, an American 800-pound nuclear bomb. The B61-12 is a gravity weapon, meaning it's dropped from above and has no propulsion system. Starmer's office said it made its decision to purchase the F-35As after a review of UK defenses urged it to boost its deterrence posture. "The Strategic Defence Review recognised that the UK is confronting a new era of threat, including rising nuclear risk," the statement reads. While the UK and France have their own nuclear programs, Western European nuclear deterrence relies heavily on the US through American missiles stationed on the continent. NATO, which is gathering its leaders at a summit in the Hague on Tuesday and Wednesday, has also been pushing member states to build up the alliance's fleet of dual-capable aircraft, or warplanes that can drop both conventional and nuclear bombs. The UK's decision comes amid fears of a full-blown nuclear arms race between the three largest nuclear powers, and as tensions among them continue to worsen. The US and Russia, which own close to an estimated 83% of the world's nuclear warheads, are both undertaking wide-scale modernizations of their nuclear weapons and launch systems. China has not publicly admitted to an expansion, but international observers say that it's rapidly building up its arsenal by at least 100 warheads a year from 2023 to 2025. By that rate, it could reach 1,550 warheads — the deployment limit kept by the US and Russia — by 2035. The UK has an estimated 225 nuclear warheads, but has said it intends to increase its stockpile to 260. It's also developing a new submarine, the Dreadnought, to replace its four Vanguard-class nuclear submarines. Read the original article on Business Insider
Telegraph
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
France might prove to be Britain's nuclear saviour
With the return of war to the European continent, and international tensions at their highest in a generation, voices in the UK military and government are now reassessing nuclear posture and debating whether Britain needs tactical nuclear weapons again. It may be deeply disturbing that such considerations must be contemplated but giving a British prime minister more options in time of crisis is crucial. The forthcoming Strategic Defence Review may weigh in on the question but the solutions will ultimately come down to both time and money. The MoD's current long-range missile development programme is concentrating on conventional firepower, mainly to replace the subsonic Storm Shadow cruise missile with something faster and more survivable. There is no programme of record for a tactical nuclear missile and Britain's hypersonic missile development is still in its infancy when compared with other nations. The British strategic nuclear deterrent is based on four Vanguard-class nuclear-powered submarines equipped with up to 16 Trident multi-warhead nuclear missiles. At least one submarine is on permanent ocean patrol at all times. Trident is the ultimate weapon envisaged to deter a massive attack on Britain. Its purpose is to dissuade because if it is used, it will likely be Armageddon for both attacker and defender. However, the UK no longer possesses an 'escalation ladder' to use the defence parlance. Following the end of the Cold War, in 1998 Britain retired all of its tactical nuclear weapons, mainly the freefall WE177 nuclear bomb. These 'low-yield' weapons were intended to blunt or stop a massive Soviet armoured invasion of the West if conventional means failed. Some are now beginning to ask if having all the nuclear eggs in one basket is wise. Most of the declared nuclear powers still maintain a way to deliver tactical nuclear weapons as a means to dissuade a hostile power from launching a less than strategic strike which would not justify massive retaliation. Whether this strategy would work has thankfully yet to be tested although war games conducted by the Pentagon in Washington appear to indicate that escalation to a complete nuclear warhead exchange is difficult to stop once the 'ladder' is climbed. But governments need options in time of crisis. Currently for Britain, in the event of a nuclear standoff, it will be all in or nothing. Russia and China can at short notice field hundreds of tactical nuclear weapons, affording them an extra rung on the ladder in the event of conflict. The US keeps a small stockpile of low-yield nuclear bombs at airbases in Germany and Italy but there are no guarantees these will not be withdrawn in future. Although it's believed that there may be a few low-yield Trident warheads in every submarine which could be launched short of a total nuclear exchange, doing this would reveal the submarine's location to the enemy – a less than optimal option. France however, never wavered in keeping all its options open. Its supersonic, ramjet powered ASMP missile, carried by Mirage and Rafale fighter jets, is a weapon with a range of some 600 kilometres and capable of delivering a single nuclear warhead of between 100 and 300 kilotons yield. The latest iteration of the weapon, the ASMPA-R has just entered service with the French Air Force and will hold the line until a next-generation, hypersonic missile enters service in another ten to fifteen years. If the UK decides it needs tactical nukes again, might cooperation with France be the way forward? Britain's current tactical missile systems are already heavily dependent on MBDA, the UK/France/Germany manufacturing consortium. Would the French be willing to offer up the MBDA supplied ASMPA-R as a weapon for the UK? Britain would need to provide its own small warhead (for which it has the proven expertise) and integration on the Eurofighter Typhoon would also be required (admittedly a complex task) but this would still likely be cheaper and faster than a cold-start development programme for an entirely new missile and then its subsequent integration and testing. Such cooperation would be a strong reaffirmation of the Lancaster House Treaties signed by Britain and France in 2010 and which already contain protocols on weapons development. Given the shifting geopolitical winds, European defence and stability may in the near future depend on a much deeper nuclear understanding between Britain and France. Whether the political will exists in either country remains to be seen.
