Misinformation around topics of national security can have far-reaching implications. Recently, a tweet by @ruth_wishart concerning the UK’s Trident nuclear weapons system drew widespread attention, we even covered it here.

The tweet implied that the United Kingdom’s Trident system is controlled by the United States, with the UK unable to use the system without U.S. permission.

Thankfully, X (formerly Twitter) was swift to apply its ‘Community Notes’ feature to correct the claim.

Here’s the tweet.

For those unfamiliar, Community Notes allows X to add context to misleading posts. It’s an open-source and transparent initiative aimed at creating a more informed digital community.

The note that was added to Ruth Wishart’s tweet read: “The Trident system is controlled, managed, and maintained by the UK. American involvement only comes from engineering consultation. To imply that the British military is just a puppet of the US government is factually incorrect.”

Let’s clarify some important points about the Trident system’s operational independence. Although the United Kingdom holds the right to a number of missiles in a pool jointly owned with the United States, and these missiles undergo routine maintenance in the U.S., this in no way equates to American control over the UK’s nuclear capabilities.

The Trident system is fully capable of autonomous operation. Crucially, the UK does not employ a ‘Permissive Action Link’ system that would necessitate U.S. approval for a launch. The UK retains complete autonomy over the Trident system. This point is underlined by the existence of the ‘Letters of Last Resort,’ handwritten directives from the British Prime Minister stored securely aboard the UK’s Vanguard-class submarines. These letters set out the Prime Minister’s orders for action in the event that the UK government is incapacitated, underscoring the country’s operational independence regarding its nuclear deterrent.

Whilst it’s accurate to say that without ongoing U.S. engineering support, the Trident system would likely have a limited shelf life—perhaps a year or two—this is largely irrelevant in the context of a post-nuclear conflict scenario. So, while the U.S. provides valuable engineering consultation, it exercises no operational control or oversight over the UK’s Trident system. Therefore, any assertion that the UK’s Trident system is somehow beholden to U.S. control is fundamentally incorrect.

The Community Note added to Ruth Wishart’s tweet reflects the importance of fact-checking in our era of instant information. In a world where social media posts can quickly shape public opinion, it’s increasingly important to differentiate between fact and fiction.

Thanks to X’s ‘Community Notes’, we’re one step closer to ensuring the integrity of information shared on the platform.

George Allison
George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison
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75 COMMENTS

  1. Trouble is once this ‘information’ is out there it gets a life of its own! For instance my old dad thought the QE was actually sinking due to the stuff put out about the gland failure🙄All you’re going to get is yeah but the govt would say that wouldn’t they!

  2. Has the SNP’s policy on NATO changed again? Last I heard they stated that an independent Scotland would join. Makes her comments even more daft. Whoever she is.

    • The SNP policy is pro NATO and anti nuclear weapons.

      I believe it’s political ideology called cakeism

      Many brexiters had a similar ethos in 2016. 😀

      • Brexit has delivered the cake. The ONS has revised the official GDP figures for the post Covid recovery, Britain’s GDP is now 2% higher – spread over the last 2 years- so not the dire compared to similar in EU the remainers like to trumpet.

        • How that compares to other countries GDP growth and does that GDP growth actually make any difference to 99% of peoples lives is what matters.
          Brexit has failed on the sort out the borders issue along with other things. Somethings good somethings bad. Can’t be seen as a win for either side really.

          • Brexit is about identity, about re-establishing a British sense of self-autonomy and critically self-responsibilty. It’s about relearning to become an independent, equal nation cooperating with others across the globe rather than something of a puppet territory corralled by a supranational political body. It’s about taking responsibility for actions and relocating the buck stop from Brussels to Westminster. It’s about reorienting the focus of the civil service from European harmonisation to British need. In the end it’s about parliament being accountable and responsible for realising the will and common good of the British people.
            The economic arguments for Brexit exist but I think they are weak. Brexit is political and cultural and will take a generation to realise, if they happen at all. It is up to the British people and parliament to take hold of their destiny again…if they wish to. If they don’t they should embrace the European project fully. Dump the nation state, the pound and evolve most of not all competences to Brussels.
            For me it comes down to whether Brits want to be responsible for their country of not. If not stop playing around and make the EU work.

          • If only there were signs of Parliament taking responsibility and grabbing these new opportunities instead of to all intents and purposes being Nadine Dorris, ie creating a whole new level of blind hypocrisy and self serving profit taking, where Party trumps everything else except the little matter that they are endlessly fighting over who’s Party it is, you know like they were before and during getting Brexit done. At my age I have come round to being deliriously amused by the endless clusterfuck of our ruling classes and how they exercise their duplicitous control over we mere mortals.

          • The generational change you talk of is one where the racist, xenophobic, old timers die off and the young re-join because demographics show that many young people don’t give two hoots for the monarchy, despise the monied rich and don’t read the Sun.

            What a great generation.

          • Quite amusing, racism thrives on stereo typing groups and the you then stereo type older people and younger people.

          • Given my age, why thank you.
            Coping with the dementia of an elderly person, who just hates the French, and therefore Europe, why thank you again.

            Given your malicious communication, I’d suggest taking it down within minutes or find yourself answering a knock at the door.

          • In my experience the young grow old & they become more conservative as they age.
            It’s debated who actually said:
            “If you are not a socialist at 20, you have no heart. If you are still a socialist at 40, you have no brain“?
            (often attributed to Churchill, but more likely Clemenceau)

            Probably adopted from Guizot’s C19 words:
            “Not to be a republican at 20 is proof of want of heart; to be one at 30 is proof of want of head”

            After travelling extensively, I can say without hesitation that xenophobia, racism and all other forms of prejudice know no bounds of race, colour, creed, religion, nationality, education, economic status or age

          • It saw it as something completely different. I was the government and press constant blaming Brussels for everything that went wrong. The people that said we will have a vote were using it as a way to shut up the euro sceptics in the Conservative party. The government thought the result would be stay in Europe and with that would take the wind out of farage types/Tory back bench sails.
            Obviously that wasn’t what happened. There was no grand plan of what to do if the public voted to leave as that was not what was expected.
            Whatever brexit meant to the 50 odd percent who voted is not what the plan was. There was no plan.

          • Totally agree, sign of how disconnected and arrogant both the government and civil service were. No plan because they live in a delusion born of group think. I’d argue this is part of the reason why Brexit happened. It’s not an EU problem but a problem with us…typical break up line.

          • The reason there was no plan was because Cameron didn’t want to upset the EU and actually banned any contingency planning.
            To be blunt IMHO he and Blair were the 2 most useless PMs we had since Eden, but for very different reasons.
            Blair for lying to Parliament and getting 457 service personnel killed over a pack of lies.
            Cameron for cutting the armed forces and tried to negotiate with the EU over free movement of EU citizens. But by not even planning for an exit he just told them he wasn’t serious. Daft thing is if he had gone in hard, with firm intent, prepared for an Exit he may just have got the deal he wanted and Brexit wouldn’t have happened.

            https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37360386

          • That’s an interesting point.

            However, getting 255 service personnel killed – a good few of whom were killed due to negligence and therefore manslaughter, should be levelled at Thatcher etc al who did more to wreck our economy and social cohesion than any other Prime Minister.

          • I certainly don’t defend Mrs T, I am from the generation where we were pretty well thrown on the dole queue straight from school. I was lucky as my family had connections at a large local industrial firm so got an apprenticeship. That company and myself actually prospered and thrived during her administration and continue to do so. Most of my school mates didn’t have the same advantage
            But although the Knott cuts pretty well left an open goal for the Junta to invade, they made that decision and paid the consequences. But she didn’t start that war nor lie to us in order to commit us to fighting it, in fact if you check your History the Labour Party largely supported the war.
            We didn’t start the war nor invite it, but 255 servicemen died, that is a tragedy but sorry that is war. The greatest tragedy in war is usually the aftermath and more veterans died Post Falklands due to suicide than actual combat.
            Blair lied, lied and lied about lying, that is unforgivable and 457 died due to those lies.

          • Precisely. Those voting to leave that did think (a bit) just focussed on one or two single issues and ignored all the rest. All going along with Farage and his fellow money sepculators sefl-interests.

          • How true you are. A vacuous set of individuals going for power and lying through the back of their teeth to attain power.

            One day, that cabal led by Bluffer and Johnson need to be held to account for their lies in a Court of Law.

          • Well put Nath, and completely agreed.
            To me Brexit was never about some utopian nonsense (and frankly that is claim more made by those that voted remain than anything I’ve heard from those that voted Brexit). It’s as you very articulated, about national identify, self determination, and charting our own course. Come what may, and that’s the right decision and always will be.
            We are adults, and hiding behind a clutch of incompetent EU bureaucrats whom neither like nor understand the UK is no future at all. I’ll choose the possibility of independence and success over guaranteed irrelevance, decay, and federalism any day.

          • I said its quite good compared to similar others in the EU!
            The remainers ( viz Guardian columnists) made much of the old figures to ‘prove’ that Brexit was an economic disaster, now they are left with computer based *spreadsheet economics* to project over next 20 years . You may as well use tea leaves.
            “Revisions to past growth data showed that the UK recovered much more quickly from the pandemic-enforced lockdowns than previously thought. Brexit, it appears, was not as big an impediment to growth as some commentators assumed.
            https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/sep/03/uk-growth-silver-lining-clouds-suggest-recession-looms

            Gotta love the Guardians headlines writers, ignore the story

            Borders issue ? Just a contrivance , as the Belfast memorandum barely mention customs and borders- go ahead and read it- as the bigger issue is the collapse of the Northern Ireland government -laid out in massive detail in agreement

            Cant both claim GDP proves Brexit was a disaster and now to switch to doesnt matter to ordinary people
            Well it will make some difference for defence budget right away

          • Not sure if it helps the population but Poland has a sustained GDP growth of 4.4% + pa and its growing. Hence that their Tax revenue has increased dramatically without Tax rises and why they can afford to raid their Piggy Bank at present.
            If we had that sort of growth we could do some serious inward investment.

          • Poland has been 4% since 1995- most of the time Britain was in the EU
            We are talking about last few years since Brexit
            Clearly Poland has benefited from joining the EU and its subsidies and grants
            Since 2004 Poland has received 230 billion euros

        • Compare with other countries! Not against the predefined limited scenario you have. It may be higher than it was, but compared to most other industrial nations it is behind.

          • Compare to the bigger economies in Europe ? Your claim doesnt hold up its certainly grown bigger than Germanys!

          • In the same article: “It will be an opportunity for the optimists to be proven right. But the flip side, however, is if we learn from those figures that the UK economy has indeed slowed down to a snail’s pace since the pandemic recovery.”

            So it is not yet proven, and clearly not fully analysed good news if it suggests, but sadly it doesn’t explain on what basis the figures are derived from. It also completely ignores the highly visible and obvious effects of Brexit on many aspects of our economy. While taken as a whole it may be good news, but the impact on many sectors remains significant, particulalry at the bottom end of the economy which relied heavily on foreign staff. And it is only one report. At best all that can be said is that it is too early to say.

          • “It also completely ignores the highly visible and obvious effects of Brexit on many aspects of our economy.”

            Relied on foreign staff ….. thats a good one . Since the pandemic staff shortages have been a big problem in EVERY western country , not just Britain.
            “France Desperately Needs Workers, but the Fixes Could Anger Left and Right”https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/23/business/france-jobs.html
            Do you need some time to analyse that information too ?

            You seem to live a inner London bubble thats feeds off the Gospel according to the Guardian
            Joining the EU in 1970s led to a big decline in employment in industry as jobs moved to cheaper places , say Spain in 1970s and eastern Eyrope since 2000s, in the south of England wasnt noticed but this was the start of the Northern decline

        • A smaller cake (a scone rather than the gateau) than would have been the case had we stayed, but then ongoing austerity politics and the blonde ******* ***** buffoon and his acolytes also played a part in that lower rise than most other places. Just because a disaster hasn’t happened is not sufficient to say it was a success, at best all we can say is that it isn’t quite as bad as it could have been.

    • She was stating a personal opinion. She may be an SNP member but has no role in the party whatsoever. She is a journalist (see other comments about journalistic misinformation). Therefore what she may or may not say about the SNP is mere conjecture with journalistic licence. However on an ill-informed basis she was merely stating popularly held beliefs. Again nothing to do with the SNP who do have a commitment for Scotland to remain in NATO, as we are at present. ‘Joining’ is no more than creating another sub-entity within the organisation, especially as Scotland already hosts lots of NATO strategic interests and plays a major part due to its geographic position.

  4. Whilst I do not know this is true , but someone who worked for the MOD said that during the cold war Britain actually maintained a number of American nuclear warheads. I do not know for certain but I read the MIRVs for Trident are actually manufactured in the UK ? One thing I do know for certain is the author of these tweets is a member of a desperate, apparently corrupt, devisive political party. Affiliation with an equally desperate leader a 1000 mile + to the East maybe ?

    • Yes that is correct, from 1960 to 1992 U.K could deploy a quantity of US tactical weapons of various sizes and functions. But just like the ones still available to other NATO countries I believe they were all subject to physical and procedural control of the US at all times.
      Well that’s my understanding and if I’m wrong I’m sure someone will correct me.

      • Depth bombs at Macrihanish, Free fall bombs at Lakenheath and Bentwaters/Woodbridge. GLCM at Greenham Common and Molesworth, all under US control.

        • Not just at Machrihanish but US depth bombs were held at RAF bases in the South West and sometimes in the North East. Plus the forward deployed 155 and 203mm Nuclear shells plus the warheads for Corporal, Honest John and Lance rockets.
          FYI if I had a one off wish on just one bit of U.K. defence spending it would be 50 odd stand alone, independent UK Tactical Nuclear weapons. And preferably mounted on an upgraded Storm Shadow and OTS purchased French ASMP missiles.
          Simple reason is that unlike US and France we have absolutely zero options for a graduated deterrence scenario. So if a foreign power lets off a Tactical Nuclear weapon near U.K. forces we have to either do nothing of rely on a NATO (US) response.
          It makes hitting U.K. forces a soft option target and a really good option in a game of Nuclear Poker.
          Our lack of this capability doesn’t provide an off ramp interrupt to nuclear escalation.

          • Often contemplated that myself and a desperate Putin Or some psychopath who replaced him just might in certain circumstances contemplate such a scenario what with we being the eternal enemy as some In power they’re like to call us. Might consider Poland as a lesser threat but such an act is unlikely to result in a US response in kind either way. You only have to check out the leading Republican candidates to realise in their minds just how expendable we are when it’s on the line.

          • My reasoning is nothing to do with Vladimir Vladimirovitch or his successors, it is just plain logical,to have options other than all out Armageddon.
            Unless the system is completely automated it relies on Human beings who have all hopefully been tested as being sane and responsible folks.
            And if they are given a realistic measured and reasonable proportional demonstration of force, they may just have a pause for thought to avoid a downward cycle leading to oblivion so we may just stand a chance of de-escalating it.
            It happened before (twice to my knowledge) where a o bin the wheel just said nope this is just nuts so not playing, so it has a decent chance of happening again.

            Although I generally don’t like the French (never understood why anyone likes Brie) I love their logic about Nuclear deterrence,
            The “force de Dissuasion”, or you hit my forces, well I will hit yours but slightly more. If you want to keep going upwards we will eventually get to the Strategic level and I can kill 80 million of you. But you can’t kill 80 million of us as there aren’t that many of us, so be sensible and pack it in before 80 million of you die.
            Are you feeling dissuaded by the idea of 80 million dead vs 50 million French ?

            We don’t presently have that option, and given the cost of doing so IMHO it is just plain nuts not to do so. Because if we did then Vladimir Vladimirovich has to figure out what 2 of us may do.
            So with both the U.K. and France having their own Tactical Nuclear options his minions in the chain of command have to figure on 140/160 million dead, the US just sitting it out, and China getting Siberia.
            That’s a pretty sobering thought or do they just put a bullet through his head ! 🤔
            Russia is a nation of Chess Players, so not daft !

          • Trident has a sub strategic role. A single missile with a single small warhead. That took over from the UK aircraft carried buckets of sunshine.

          • Hi GB yes I do know about that but I just think it is a very, very stupid idea on so many levels. It’s a political fudge based on sloppy thinking but hey it saved some money.

            We officially only confirm that we carry up to 8 Tridents per boat with up 5 MIRV on each 🤔 So if you only carry 1 per boat for Tactical use then the Strategic deterrent is reduced significantly. The entire posture of our CASD, numbers of Warheads and deployed missiles is all masked by a Smoke & Mirrors policy and has got worse (or better depending on your viewpoint since BoJo made his little announcement in 2021). Have a read of this RUSI. https://rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/commentary/going-ballistic-uks-proposed-nuclear-build#:~:text=The%20Integrated%20Review%2C%20a%20much,by%20the%20mid%2D2020s%2C%20and.

            Launch an SLBM and you have just given away your position to every ASW asset an enemy has. So have just put the entire Strategic CASD at risk.

            If you launch it then how does an adversary determine if it is a Tactical or a Strategic Launch ? It’s a Trident missile, it’s been launched, it isn’t a test and it’s heading towards you. At that point there is zero way to determine if it is going to hit a target in Estonia due to a Russian strike on NATO forces there or St Petersburg (85 miles away).

            Due to way our SSBN work and the above risks slowing the decision making process I’m not sure the response time would be any better than a missile launched from an Aircraft.

            IMHO as Russia has been rattling its Nuclear Sabre it is time to publicly announce an uplift our Strategic CASD back up to the full 16 per boat.
            And also acquire an air launched Tactical missile / cruise missile for a graduated response capability, providing options that at present we don’t have.
            Compared to most of the Pie in the sky wish lists on this site it is actually not only very affordable but would really display resolve. To be perfectly honest that would probably be the best thing U.K. could do right now. European and NATO Defence would be far better if UK upped the ante rather than relying on the US.
            Ultimately the really important thing about our defence posture is deterrence.

          • Morning mate. Ah yes, Lance. Where the British Army RA’s shells ( I think fired from M207s and M210s ) and warhead for Lance British or US?

          • All were US and don’t forget the M109 155mm ones. I seem to remember that just before the Cold War ended the British Army had more US nuclear weapons for the RA than the RN & RAF combined totals of U.K built ones.

    • The UK makes the warheads for its Trident. In the past we also made and had sole control over the WE177 tactical/strategic aircraft carried bombs in its A, B and C variants.

      The link here is accurate

      And yes on the RN A variant, you did dial in the yield, set the delivery mode, and armed it for carriage with a Fruit Machine castellated security key! NO PAL or codes or any of that gubbins. As with anything that is nuclear it was always 2-man rule access. Mag keys with separate access to keys from 2 different safe holders, weapon keys in seperate safes with seperate access, strict maintenance routines involving step by step maintenance instructions read from the “The Book” by one person, maintenance instructions carried out by a do’er , a double checker for maintenance tasks being carried out and a tool controller.

      They were a massive pain to look after not least because they contained tritium, it being a boosted weapon. That meant sniffers for the mag to detect gas leaks. It was also somewhat disconcerting to me that the “specialist test equipment” looked like it came from a 1960s Syfy B movie. Dark brown/ black Bakelite cases, dials, meters, similar to 58 pattern webbing green canvas covers.

  5. This is not the first time WISHART has come out with this type of guff, she also previously prattled on about the QE not having any planes , I know she is playing to her nationalist fanbase bit like a pound land Herr Goebells

    • Ah, you say the famed ‘no planes’ SNPerson, NOW I know who she is. Looking forward to her next gem of delight. Many Thanks

  6. The DT is full of this sort of nonsense and the level of knowledge of readers responding is close to zero. I do try to correct them from time to time but I am one among thousands. The Guardian is as bad but who would expect anything different

    • I know, the lack of realism and knowledge is really bad from the general public. I nearly got into a fight down the pub a week ago when I overheard some overweight middle aged blokes talking about a Falklands war 2 scenario. I tried to correct their aspirations when they stated a single type 45 destroyer could be deployed. Sail off Argentina’s coast and fire I presume hundreds of missiles into the country to destroy every airbase, port, ammo site and C3 location.
      They genuinely believed that was possible.
      We live in a country mostly utterly clueless to military facts and more importantly the current perilous state of our armed forces.

  7. Aye unfortunately this is what happens when certain things just get the repeat repeat repeat treatment for whichever lie, half truth or heavily spun information those in positions of authority or influence put out.

    Unfortunately large numbers of the population just believe it like they will believe anything they are told due to the relentless conditioning that is 24/7 everywhere because asking questions doing your own research and critical thinking are not what is expected of the proletariat.

    I’m sure somebody who took over an entire country nearby once said “Make the lie big,keep it simple,keep saying it and eventually they [the people] will believe it…..

    The warheads designed and built here along with the subs another example of British engineering excellence that few in this country appreciate.

    🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

    • Slaint !
      I tune out off the drivel when I hear any Politician use the following words
      “World leading / beating capability”
      Guaranteed total 100% BS.
      🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿🇬🇧

      • Both those and the words described by Artist above are eminently in my mind, words if not expressed directly by Boris Johnson, certainly would have been contemplated by him in moments between his musings upon Aristotle.

  8. Excellent that there is potential for correction but where is the evidence for this correction?
    Independent verification is required for credibility..

    (References that can be reviewed)

    • If you post drivvle that is incorrect, politically biased and intended to spread disinformation you should have your account removed/ deleted. Simple as that. It’s not expressing freedom of speech if the intention is to spread lies and try to influence public opinion.

  9. Well firstly who believes whatever they read on twitter I mean X? If you do believe any old rubbish sprouted out by the likes of Wishart then you clearly have the intellect of a Brussel sprout.
    Secondly what the heck would a completely clueless individual like Wishart know about any military affair?
    Hopefully the SNP will censure her, as she is only making the party look completely daft and moronic by association.

    • Mr Bell Leave it out please !
      Brussel sprouts are actually useful so don’t align them to drivel. They are vital to the continuity of our British way of life, they make Turkey actually seem interesting on Xmas day and provide a useful addition to U.K. energy security.

      • Quite right! Lets have less of the antisproutist propaganda on here. Also, I reminder that it is now September and our Tel (sadly rip) used to advise us this is the time to put them on so they will be properly cooked by Xmas.

  10. A way to improve the misinformation is that everyone who looked at the post, reposted etc is sent the message stating what she said is false. This then continues for anyone who reposted, read it in following accounts. Basically anyone who read this anywhere gets sent the message saying it wrong.
    Doing this with every false statement would hopefully slow down folks speed in posting without thinking.
    I would also have any media outlet has to do the same. Made a false story on page 2 of the paper. An apology stating what was wrong etc has the be printed on the same page, the same size as the article.

  12. If sufficient press is given to producing misleading statements, which are often an extrapolation from one minor fact or possible scenario, usually extending to the worst case presented as the only outcome then this becomes the main stream understanding. We have always had operational independence. Whether that would extend to ongoing support if we did use them against US wishes is a different matter.

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