Wikileaks & Tridents

[Orionblamblam]

So, how's this playing to our British forum members?

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/wikileaks/8304654/WikiLeaks-cables-US-agrees-to-tell-Russia-Britains-nuclear-secrets.html

To me, the US giving out the serial numbers of British SLBMs seems at best rude. Is the story (if it turns out to be true) overblown?

 

[zen]

Serial numbers of the missiles thats all.

Missile XXXX might be made at a US facility and loaded onto HMS ____(insert one of the V-boats here), after which the US had no idea where it went. Then later on it came back for maintence and missile YYYYY was inserted into HMS _____ in its place. Once Missile XXXX is through the maintence process it ended up being slotted into the USS_____ (inseter one the USNs SSBNs in here) for a time before comming back to the US facility for maintence.

So what the Russians get is a number of serial numbers that tell them how many SLBMs are in the UKs hands at the time this set was handed over to them.

What they don't get is anything specific about that subtype of missile, or anything that might be different with the bus (which might even be seperate from the missile). Nor do they get anything on the UK RVs or the warheads contained in them.
Nor do they get to know how many missiles are in storage in the UK or onboard which SSBN, save for at best the one that came over to pick it up. Assuming the US has given that information, which considering we said "no" to giving over all the details, is unlikely.

Do remember we now remove the missiles when a boat is tied up, as it actualy extends the life of the missile being stored in a special facility. Also remember that the warheads are made in the UK though with some US sourced compoents, and are likely outside of any US serial sequence for their warheads.

 

[Orionblamblam]

Serial numbers of the missiles thats all.
...
So what the Russians get is a number of serial numbers that tell them how many SLBMs are in the UKs hands at the time this set was handed over to them.

The Russians would get confirmation of exactly how many Tridents were handed over... and which Tridents were handed over. There are variations in missiles based on when they were made... production differences, performan ce differences, equipment differences. The serial numbers would potentially give pointers here.

 

[Nik]

Would this have anything to do with START compliance ??

 

[Orionblamblam]

Would this have anything to do with START compliance ??

FTFA:

A series of classified messages sent to Washington by US negotiators show how information on Britain’s nuclear capability was crucial to securing Russia’s support for the “New START” deal.

Although the treaty was not supposed to have any impact on Britain, the leaked cables show that Russia used the talks to demand more information about the UK’s Trident missiles, which are manufactured and maintained in the US.

 

[bobbymike]

Would this have anything to do with START compliance ??

FTFA:

A series of classified messages sent to Washington by US negotiators show how information on Britain’s nuclear capability was crucial to securing Russia’s support for the “New START” deal.

Although the treaty was not supposed to have any impact on Britain, the leaked cables show that Russia used the talks to demand more information about the UK’s Trident missiles, which are manufactured and maintained in the US.

My guess would be that the US can do anything with this type of information because they made and maintain the missiles. But other than that was there anything the US wasn't "ready to give up" to get the New Start Treaty. I bet you Russia is kicking itself for not asking for total disarmament...............of just the US that is :

IMHO the fact that they could give Russia the information does not mean is was right or smart to do.

 

[F-14D]

Washington had been touting the signing of the START treaty as something they could point to as a major success. That's what was driving them. If this was what it would take to get that political success, then that's what they'd going to do.

It greatly pains me how we've treated one of our two greatest allies in the past couple of years. Yes, this is a political statement, but in this case politics is what we're talking about here.