The Sunday Herald has reported on allegations about Scottish Government and local authority nuclear convoy safeguards.
The article claims that Scotland is “wholly unprepared” to deal with an accident or an attack on the nuclear bomb convoys that regularly travel across the country.
An MoD spokesperson said:
“This report appears to be highly speculative and scaremongering. Public safety is our absolute priority and robust arrangements are in place to ensure the safety and security of all these convoys – there has never been an incident posing a radiation hazard.”
The Special Escort Group of the Ministry of Defence Police, SEG (MDP), escort the nuclear materials and remain on standby during their transit. Immediate Response Forces are embedded within the road and rail transports, and on standby with air transports.
Defence Nuclear Materials are moved using the following transport means:
- Trident weapons, special nuclear material (SNM) and new submarine reactor fuel are transported by road.
- Used reactor fuel from Royal Navy submarines is transported by rail (and may involve a short road journey to the railhead).
- SNM is also moved by air, as are US nuclear weapons.
Transport containers for nuclear weapons, SNM and new and used reactor fuel, provide protection from impact, mechanical stress and fire. They are tested against International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards for abnormal environments.
In the event of an incident, control passes to Ministry of Defence Nuclear Accident Response Organisation (NARO). Defence Nuclear Material Transport Contingency Arrangements are in place in case of accidents involving DNMs.
Are you following a #nuclear warhead convoy? If you see it ring 0345 4588 365 or Tweet us. More info at https://t.co/cvnNi7gQdh pic.twitter.com/Hp0XcuIqFn
— Nukewatch (@NukewatchUK) April 25, 2017
Why would we publish how we move our nuclear materials – especially weapons???? I don’t care how well protected they may be, it just seems like lunacy that we would put this kind of information out there given the world we live in today.
What the hell are this Nukewatch crowd up to? They’re effectively highlighting where Islamic lunatics can drive a truck into nuclear weapons when they’re at there most vulnerable.
These leftist imbeciles have been at it for years.
I think though vehicle attacks tend to be aimed at innocent bystanders rather than these vehicles which are built to withstand that sort of thing, are escorted by armed MoD Police and Royal Marines, and do not stop anywhere but secure sites designed for the purpose, one in Leicershire and one further north.
For once, the MoD have provided a spot on response to these ridiculous allegations dreamed up by this Scottish Sunday rag. Slap em with a good old fashioned ‘D’ notice and stop putting our personnel at unnecessary risk which this self serving article only seeks to do.