March 2019 Convoy report: A breakdown & a new workshop vehicle

A nuclear weapons convoy set off from AWE Burghfield on the morning of Tues March 19th and headed west on the M4 and then north on the A34. It pulled off onto the slip road at Didcot where the warhead carriers and their security escort were parked for 15 minutes. Other support vehicles went to the nearby services. See a report about it in the Oxford Mail

It then continued on the A34, M40 and A43 to join the M1 north. It was later spotted on the A1 near Aberford.

The following day March 20th the convoy was picked up in Scotland on the M74 at Abington in mid afternoon. It then went north on the M73, M80 and M9 to Stirling then via the A811 to RNAD Coulport.

These vehicles left again on March 26th but individually and not in full convoy formation.

Two new vehicles were spotted in this convoy:

OSU van – white with blue/yellow checkers on side, no side windows, Iveco make, seen in front of the main convoy.

Green / khaki large coach – seen in rear support convoy near usual silver / mauve coach. The usual Renault big workshop van with decontamination trailer was not seen so presumed to have been replaced by the new coach.

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But we think it’s important that Nukewatch does not add to the risks associated with these convoys so we do not publish detailed technical information which might conceivably result in harm to a convoy.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.