UK to Boost Nuclear Trident Warheads Arsenal by 40 Percent in Response to China, Russia Threat

Britain is lifting the cap on the number of Trident nuclear warheads it can stockpile by more than 40%, Boris Johnson will announce on Tuesday, ending 30 years of gradual disarmament since the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The increased limit, from 180 to 260 warheads, is contained in a leaked copy of the integrated review of defence and foreign policy, seen by the Guardian. It paves the way for a controversial £10bn rearmament in response to perceived threats from Russia and China.

The review also warns of the "realistic possibility" that a terrorist group will "launch a successful CBRN [chemical, biological, radiological or nuclear] attack by 2030", although there is little extra detail to back up this assessment.

It includes a personal commitment from Johnson, as a last-minute addition in the foreword, to restore foreign aid spending to 0.7% of national income "when the fiscal situation allows", after fierce criticism of cuts in relief to Yemen and elsewhere.

The 100-page document says the increase in the nuclear warheads cap is "in recognition of the evolving security environment" and that there are "developing range of technological and doctrinal threats".

Campaigners warned the UK was at risk of starting a "new nuclear arms race" at a time when the world is trying to emerge from the Covid pandemic. Kate Hudson, the general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND), said: "With the government strapped for cash, we don't need grandiose, money-wasting spending on weapons of mass destruction."

The commitment is one of the most notable in the integrated review, a landmark post-Brexit review of defence and foreign policy, which also includes:

  • A clear statement that Russia under Vladimir Putin...
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