UK intends to upgrade nuclear warheads

The UK Defence Ministry has announced plans to replace its nuclear warheads with new ones. The ministry called Russia "the biggest threat to European security" in its military development plan.

The renewal of nuclear warheads is said in the context of replacing Vanguard-type submarines with Dreadnought-type submarines. The first such submarine is expected to enter service in the early 2030s, Kommersant reports.

"To ensure the effectiveness of the deterrent over the lifetime of the Dreadnought type, we will also replace our nuclear warheads. Both the Dreadnought submarines and the replacement warheads are being designed and built in the UK," the Defence Ministry's report said.

It was noted that the army has been given an extra £3 billion for the nuclear deterrent over the next two years and a further £6 billion over the next three years.

London believes that the Russian-Ukrainian war represents the most serious challenge to the open international order in a generation.

"Europe has not seen a conflict of this scale since the end of the Second World War," the document reads.

The Defence Ministry notes that it has learned lessons from what is happening in Ukraine. Thus, specialists have developed "readily available solutions" to strengthen the armour protection of Challenger 2 tanks "against specific Russian threats." The document confirms that 14 Challenger 2s have been sent to Kyiv.

The UK also calls China's "rapid military modernisation and its growing activity in the Indo-Pacific region" a "great challenge."

In 2021, the UK published the Integrated Security, Defence and Foreign Policy Review, which outlined plans to replace all nuclear-powered submarines with Dreadnought-type submarines. The document also stated that the number of nuclear warheads in the country would be increased from 225 to 260.