Why nuclear weapon convoys?

A nuclear weapon convoy is a cluster of vehicles travelling by road in convoy formation. It can be:

Carrying Trident nuclear warheads
Carrying other Special Nuclear Materials and sensitive components for the nuclear weapons programme
Travelling empty to collect or having unloaded nuclear warheads
Engaged in an exercise simulating the transport of warheads
En route to or from an accident & emergency exercise on a military base.

The Trident warheads are carried in large crates inside the green trucks. They are fully assembled and complete. The core of the warhead is a ball of plutonium and uranium. This is surrounded by specially developed conventional high explosives which would be ignited to create the critical mass necessary for a nuclear detonation when launched and targeted.

Nukewatch Policy

We think that it is very important that Nukewatch continues to monitor the safety of UK nuclear warhead convoys, and that convoy dangers are highlighted to the general public and those along its routes.

But we think it’s important that Nukewatch does not add to the risks associated with these convoys so we do not publish detailed technical information which might conceivably result in harm to a convoy. We advise trusted members of our own network in advance about convoy movements but do not broadcast information about convoy locations when it is on the road using social media or via the internet in ‘real time’, although we may do so later on the same day.