The planned closure of an arms factory next year has raised doubts about the future supply of a key component of Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent.
A Royal Ordnance plant at Bridgwater, Somerset, owned by BAE Systems, produces TATB — triaminotrinitrobenzene — a high explosive used to trigger the nuclear warhead in the Trident ballistic missile.
The loss-making Bridgwater plant is one of only four in the world. The 70 jobs there will go at the end of next year. The only other suppliers of TATB, which is wrapped around the inner core of the warhead, are in America and France.
Richard Harvey, negotiations officer for the Prospect trade union, said that the Pentagon also relied on Bridgwater. “The US has two companies that can manufacture TATB but one is closed down after an explosion and the other has only a limited production capability,” he said.
“Does this mean that Britain’s independent nuclear deterrent is going to have to rely on a French company? This would have huge implications for Britain’s strategic deterrent.”
Advertisement
He said that at the time of the Gulf War in 1991, Britain ran out of 155mm artillery shells and turned to a Belgian company for supplies, but the Government there refused to meet the request.
TATB is insensitive to shock, vibration, fire or impact, making it difficult to detonate by accident. It must regularly be replaced as part of the Trident deterrent’s maintenance programme. The MoD said that BAE had guaranteed “the security of supply”, but refused to make any further comment.