Pacifists demand end to N-sub building

Press, 9 May 1981, Page 9

Pacifists demand end to N-sub building

NZPA-Reuter St Louis Pacifist protesters yesterday tried to disrupt a shareholders’ meeting of General Dynamics, builder of the Tri-dent-carrying nuclear submarine. One woman unfurled a banner emblazoned “Repent the Trident” and poured blood over it. Thirty more protesters from a group opposed to militarism, called Clergy and Laity Concerned, picketed the meeting and kept up a chant of “we shall overcome."

General Dynamics is the biggest defence contractor to the United States Government and expects to deliver the first of the Trident mis-sile-carrying submarines to the Navy in October. The pacifist group tries unsuccessfully to move a motion at the meeting to end the company’s Trident programme. The company chairman (Mr David Lewis) said the Trident was a “vital part of our national defence.” General Dynamics is contracted to build eight of the. submarines — which are in

effect underwater launching pads for ballistic missiles — for the Navy at a total cost of more than $3 billion. But the Trident is two-and-a-half years late and Washington has sharply criticised the firm for the delay. Last month the Navy declined to take up an option for a ninth Trident submarine. General Dynamics has a contract to build 20 688-class (Los Angeles) submarines, but their production is also late and has incurred big cost overruns.