Category: Convoys

A nuclear weapons convoy left AWE Burghfield in Berkshire on the morning of Wednesday 10 February. After an overnight stop in Yorkshire it travelled on into Scotland on the A1, passing Edinburgh and Stirling before arriving at RNAD Coulport at just before 7.00 pm on Thursday 11 February.

The return trip began on the morning of Monday 15 February, with the convoy passing Stirling before travelling along the Edinburgh Bypass, where it was photographed by a number of members of the public before stopping for a rest break at Glencorse Barracks at Penicuik. It then continued along the A1 past Newcastle before stopping overnight again in Yorkshire. The convoy arrived back at AWE Burghfield early evening on Tuesday 16 February.

The first warhead convoy of the year left AWE Burghfield just after midnight on Saturday 9 January, arriving at RNAD Coulport at around 7.00 pm on the same day. The convoy was followed by Nukewatch up the M40 and on to the A46 past Coventry, and then back on to the motorway network on the M6 to Stafford. The convoy continued north on the M6, stopping to change crew near Preston, and then drove into Scotland on the M74. At Stirling it was greeted by protesters, including students from Stirling University. Despite efforts by police to prevent people from photographing the convoy, a number of members of the public have posted video footage on the internet showing the convoy during its journey.

The return trip took place a week later, with the convoy leaving Coulport at around 10.00 am on Saturday 16 January. It again passed through Stirling and then travelled on the M80 past Glasgow in heavy snow. It arrived back at Burghfield early in the morning on Sunday 17 January.

A nuclear warhead convoy left AWE Burghfield on Wednesday 2nd December at 8.30 am, arriving at RNAD Coulport at around 2.30 am the next morning.  Passing through Reading it then travelled East on the M4, subsequently taking the A1(M) to travel northwards.

At 3.25 p.m. Nukewatchers spotted the convoy turning off the A1(M) onto the A61 in North Yorkshire, heading for a break at RAF Leeming which it entered at 3.45 p.m.  By 8 p.m. the convoy was observed leaving the A1 onto the A69, 9 minutes later entering Albemarle Barracks in Northumbria (10 miles  west of Newcastle-upon-Tyne) for another break. Later, continuing West on the A69, the convoy made its way to the M74 and was observed by Nukewatchers at several points on its trip northwards through Scotland. It then took the M8 around the southside of Glasgow where it was caught on video by Scottish CND.  After crossing the Erskine Bridge it continued up Loch Lomondside, reaching its destination at around 2.30 am.

The convoy was thought to have returned to the Atomic Weapons Establishment by 11th December.

From Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament

A convoy of more than 20 military vehicles drove through the centre of Glasgow on the M74 shortly after midnight last night. The convoy included four special lorries which transport Trident nuclear bombs. The convoy was stopped for one hour near Loch Lomond by protesters from Faslane Peace Camp. One climbed on top of a nuclear transporter. Four peace campers were arrested.

Scottish CND coordinator, John Ainslie, followed the convoy as it drove along the M74 from Hamilton, through the South of Glasgow, then over the Erskine Bridge. Mr Ainslie said,

“This is an insult to the people of Glasgow and the rest of Scotland. Only 10 weeks before we vote on whether to be independent, the UK Government have sent this massive convoy of Weapons of Mass Destruction through the centre of Scotland’s largest city. The convoy was probably carrying six Trident bombs, each one seven times more powerful than the bomb which destroyed Hiroshima in 1945. This should be taken as a clear reminder of why people need to vote Yes – to rid Scotland of these horrific nuclear weapons.”

See video of the convoy on its way north to Scotland

 
FURTHER INFORMATION

The convoy left the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Burghfield around 9 am yesterday (Thursday). It arrived at the Coulport nuclear store at 2.30 am this morning (Friday). It was tracked by Nukewatch and the Scottish Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament.

The convoy lorries can each carry two Trident nuclear bombs. Normal practice is for one lorry in the convoy to be empty. So a reasonable estimate is that the convoy was carrying six 100-kiloton nuclear bombs.

The UK government are currently upgrading Trident bombs to a new Mk4A design. The convoy was probably bringing new Mk4A bombs to replace older Mk4A bombs. The Mk4A upgrade programme is a significant enhancement of the capability of the UK’s nuclear force.  It makes the bombs more effective.

A nuclear warhead convoy left AWE Burghfield on 29th March and travelled up to RNAD Coulport. It returned to Burghfield at 4.30pm on the 2nd April.

On the 29th January 2014 a military convoy of 19 vehicles drove through Glasgow on the M74. It was bringing nuclear weapons from the Atomic Weapons Establishment Burghfield, in Berkshire to the nuclear weapons store at RNAD Coulport on Loch Long. The convoy had left AWE Burghfield in the morning on the 28th January and arrived at Coulport at 1.25 am on the 29th January.

The following motion was put down in the Scottish Parliament objecting the nuclear weapons’ convoy:

Motion S4M-08888: Bill Kidd, Glasgow Anniesland, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 29/01/2014
Nuclear Weapons Driven Through Glasgow

“That the Parliament notes with grave concern what it believes is the regular transportation of nuclear weapons on roads throughout Scotland; understands that, in the early hours of the morning of 29 January 2014, a 19-vehicle convoy, which was transporting nuclear weapons from the Atomic Weapons Establishment in Berkshire to Coulport on Loch Long, used the M74 to drive through Glasgow; further understands that such convoys do not carry radiation warning symbols and neither the public nor the local authority areas that they pass through are warned about the material being transported; believes that the majority of the people of Glasgow and Scotland remain opposed to the UK Government’s policy of maintaining and upgrading the Trident system, and hopes that public awareness of what it sees as this ongoing and dangerous practice will strengthen the calls to rid Scotland of nuclear weapons once and for all.”

Supported by: Kenneth Gibson, Stuart McMillan, Annabelle Ewing, John Wilson R, Chic Brodie, Patrick Harvie, Joan McAlpine, Adam Ingram, Mike MacKenzie, George Adam, Rob Gibson, Richard Lyle, Gordon MacDonald, John Mason, David Torrance, Gil Paterson, Dennis Robertson, Kevin Stewart, John Finnie, Aileen McLeod, Linda Fabiani, Fiona McLeod, James Dornan, Sandra White, Jean Urquhart, Willie Coffey, Graeme Dey, Colin Beattie, Maureen Watt, Dave Thompson, Nigel Don, Bob Doris, Angus MacDonald, Colin Keir, Stewart Maxwell, Christina McKelvie, Mark McDonald, Clare Adamson, Marco Biagi R

The news of the nuclear weapons convoy also generated the following press:
http://news.stv.tv/west-central/262327-nuclear-convoys-along-m74-pose-unacceptable-risk-says-msp/
https://www.snp.org/media-centre/news/2014/jan/msp-condemns-risk-wmds-driven-through-glasgow
http://www.cumbernauld-news.co.uk/news/local-news/nuclear-safety-fears-for-cumbernauld-and-kilsyth-1-3353998
http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/local-news/vehicles-laden-toxic-radio-active-material-3374671