The overall cost of replacing and maintaining Britain's nuclear deterrent will reach £167 billion ($256 billion), much more than expected, according to a lawmaker's and Reuters' calculations based on official figures.
The Scottish Nationalist Party, which wants Britain's Scotland-based nuclear-armed Trident submarines scrapped, called the sum "unthinkable and indefensible" at a time when deep cuts under the government's austerity policies mean "thousands of people across the U.K. are struggling to afford basics like food."
Some military officials also oppose investment in Trident, saying the money would be better spent on maintaining the army and on more conventional technology, which have also faced cuts.