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A decision on
replacing the ageing fleet of four submarines which carry
nuclear warheads is due to be made this year and while Prime
Minister David Cameron is committed to renewal, the issue has
caused deep divisions in the opposition Labour Party.
The government has said replacing the submarines will cost 31
billion pounds while Reuters has puts the overall cost of
renewing and maintaining a successor to Trident at more than 167
billion pounds ($234 billion) over 32 years.
Carter said the submarine fleet helped the "special
relationship" Britain enjoyed with the United States, the BBC
said on its website.
The deterrent allowed Britain to "continue to play that outsized
role on the global stage that it does because of its moral
standing and its historical standing," he was quoted as saying.
"It's important that the military power matches that standing
and so we're very supportive of it. We depend upon the United
Kingdom, the United Kingdom depends on us, that's part of the
special relationship."
While most lawmakers in Cameron's party support keeping nuclear
weapons, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, a veteran left-wing and
anti-war activist, supports unilateral disarmament and is
holding a review of the party's policy.
That has led to deep divisions among its lawmakers and earlier
this week Labour's home affairs spokesman Andy Burnham said it
might be impossible for the party to agree a position.
(Reporting by Michael Holden; Editing by Toby Chopra)
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