Britain’s Secretary of State of Defence Ben Wallace leaves Downing Street 10 in London, Britain February 13, 2020. REUTERS/Hannah Mckay

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain’s defence minister Ben Wallace announced on Tuesday the start of a programme to replace the country’s nuclear deterrent.

“To ensure the government maintains an effective deterrent throughout the commission of the Dreadnought Class ballistic missile submarine we are replacing our existing nuclear warhead to respond to future threats and the security environment,” Wallace said in a statement.