Preview - On Board Britain's Nuclear Submarine: Trident

The documentary focuses on the operations and characters within Vanguard Class submarine HMS Vengeance and is the first time camera have been allowed on board an armed deterrent submarine at sea.

This one-hour special will be shown on Wednesday 04 November at 2100 on Channel 5 TV.

Video: Artlab Productions

[AllThingsCubey]

When he said "more than Hiroshima and Nagasaki around us now, " that's the understatement of the century. One singular warhead in a Trident missile is more powerful than both those combined, by several times over, and each Trident has multiple warheads, and there are multiple Tridents...

[IronDuke]

Britain exploded her first nuclear bomb in 1952 (having done much of the early work on nuclear weapons) Britain was the third nuclear power and by the 1960's had the V bomber force. There was no way in the early 1960's Britain was "Keen to join the nuclear powers" she had been one for years. I love the Royal Navy but please get this right.

[callumfrost]

I'm from the UK and called me biased but we punch well above our weight when it come to the protection of our country. 👊

[royalnavyveteran]

When I was in basic training in the royal navy, I was sat down by a officer and he tried his best in persuading me to become a submariner, like more pay, stay in nice hotels when visiting foreign countries etc, he tried his best bless him, I like the sun so I ended up on a destroyer

[Spookieham]

Polaris was designed from the start to be submarine launched. The UK didn't have to decide where to put it. Also - the missile motors are from the US pool but the warheads, decoys etc. are British designed with the nuclear material made in the UK - a very important difference.

[Buzzboxrd]

Excellent submarines, well done to the Brits.

[patdbean]

0:30 "by the early 60s" the UK had been a nuclear power for about a decade. And the v-bomber force had been operational for several years.

[Chewy]

HMS VENGEANCE? We called it VENGEANCE? Damn that is fucking awesome

[sergarlantyrell]

The set designer for Vigil should have watched this beforehand.

[chaz]

Worked with this crew & the CO is a truly great bloke. Great laugh but a brilliant mind. DJ Mason I miss you! Come back please 😂

[hansmoleman]

I remember having to write I AM NOT A VOLUNTEER FOR SUBMARINES on my early draft preference forms lol

[yorkshire_tea]

You gotta trust the engineers when you're underwater

[d.m.e.]

I was taught that after successfully testing its own Atom bomb the UK approached the US hoping to make an agreement where they'd share info on the development of Nukes, The US refused, After that the UK was the third country to detonate a Hydrogen bomb (Operation Grapple) which led to the 1958 US, UK Mutual Defence agreement. I used the Wiki for the details.

[number]

What a mighty boat! And an amazing deterrent all these years.The RN Submariners are the very best.How about some more of these fantastic weapons.NEVER mess with the UK!🇬🇧

[alexandercarder]

I love that we have these amazing machines, they blow my mind 😂

[daz]

There is an EXCELLENT radio docco made by BBC Radio 4 called "The Human Button" which looks at the chain of command / controls and what if's behind the British nuclear deterrent program... There are some fascinating interviews and a scary as hell ending where a British Trident sub practices for a nuclear launch... not sure if it's still online but well worth looking for.

[johnconcerto]

It is the height of man's technology, to have this incredible machine combined with all the destructive power it wields. Truly awesome.

[matthewkent]

One of these UK nuclear subs could start or end a war at a stroke.

[Thinkflite]

You missed Tube alloys? How can you give a piece on British Nuclear historh snd miss this? We developed our own earheads and missiles well before the 60s using our own research.

[Lrx_o]

Amazing! a journalist I did not find irritating!