[Mr K]

Originally Posted by Chris

This is a common misconception - Trident missiles *are* in use, every day of the year. Their primary purpose is to exist and to provide a credible threat of retaliation to a nuclear first strike. By being deployed aboard Vanguard subs and patrolled around the North Atlantic Ocean, they are being used right now.

Their fall-back purpose is to actually be fired at Moscow or wherever in the event of a nuclear attack on the UK.

"Best kit" meanwhile, is a term better ascribed to conventional arms that can be used in conflicts where the UK has legitimate concerns at levels below that of existential threat. Overwhelming military superiority has a deterrent effect of its own, and also has benefits on the battlefield if deployment is necessary. That was a lesson hard won by the US in Vietnam.

We'd never use them and they know we wouldn't.