Without Trident, the second division awaits

In the search for spending cuts the Trident replacement is an attractive target. Politicians already dream of scrapping it and spending the greatly exaggerated “dividend”. Meanwhile, its benefits in terms of our security and position in the world are ignored as an economic inconvenience.

It is disappointing, but perhaps not surprising, that the Foreign and Commonwealth Office should let the Ministry of Defence do the heavy lifting in this debate: the MoD, after all, has the budget, the manpower and the operational expertise.

Yet it is the Foreign Office that reaps so many of the benefits (on Britain's behalf) and so has the most to gain from replacement. Trident and its successor are as much about national power and Britain's position in the world as about military effect.

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