Green Party leader Zack Polankski has claimed on social media that the UK leases its nuclear warheads from the United States. This is incorrect. The UK manufactures its own nuclear warheads, though it does procure US-made missiles under a long-standing agreement.
Polankski wrote on social media: «Trident… doesn't work & leases the warheads from… the USA.» The statement prompted a factual clarification regarding the UK's nuclear deterrent system.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed on its website that warhead design and manufacture is carried out at AWE Nuclear Security Technologies in Berkshire. The warheads are entirely UK-made.
What the UK procures from the US
The Trident II D5 missiles themselves are designed and manufactured in the United States. The UK procures these under the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement, which was later amended for Trident.
According to an MoD statement: «The UK buys title to an agreed number of a shared stock of Trident missiles which are maintained at the Kings Bay Submarine Base, Georgia, where they are loaded into UK SSBNs (ballistic missile submarines). The UK-manufactured warheads are fitted to the missiles at His Majesty's Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde in Scotland.»
The UK's current Vanguard Class submarines carry the Trident system. The same arrangement will continue with the future Dreadnought Class submarines. A warhead is the explosive device fitted to a missile.
The UK also relies on the United States for missile maintenance.
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
