A group of former defence secretaries and military chiefs has warned the Government not to "take risks with our security" by downgrading Britain's nuclear deterrent system.
Liberal Democrat Cabinet minister Danny Alexander's long-awaited review is expected to argue the case for a scaled-down Trident force.
A leaked version of the Trident Alternatives Review suggested it will include an array of options short of like-for-like replacement, including a proposal that the Royal Navy's fleet of nuclear-armed submarines could be cut from four to two.
But the five former defence secretaries and two ex-defence chiefs have voiced their support for a £25bn like-for-like replacement of Trident.
Mr Alexander has reviewed plans for the fleet "In an uncertain world, in which the number of nuclear weapons remains high and some states are increasing their holding, we should not take risks with our security by downgrading to a part-time deterrent," they wrote in a letter to the Daily Telegraph.
"We cannot possibly foresee what threats will develop over the next 30 years.
"Reducing our submarine-based Trident capability would weaken our national security for the sake of a very small fraction of the defence budget.
"It is our view that if Britain is to remain a leading global power with strong defences, nothing less than a continuous-at-sea deterrent will do."
The letter was signed by former Conservative defence secretaries Liam Fox and Sir Malcolm Rifkind, alongside Labour's former defence secretaries Bob Ainsworth, Lord Reid of Cardowan and Lord Robertson, who was also a Nato secretary general.
Also signing were ex-chiefs of defence staff Lord Boyce and Lord Stirrup.
Treasury Chief Secretary Mr Alexander's review results from a compromise reached by Conservatives and Liberal Democrats in the 2010 coalition agreement which brought them into government together.
The issue is likely to set a clear dividing line between the parties at the next general election.
The fleet of four Vanguard-class submarines which carry the Trident missiles are due to be replaced from 2028.
The final decision on whether to replace all four boats is due in 2016, after the 2015 election.
Defence Secretary Philip Hammond on Monday warned it would be "reckless" to downgrade Trident, insisting that two subs would not be able to offer the "continuous at-sea deterrence" which Britain has maintained since the 1960s.
Prime Minister David Cameron has left no doubt of his preference for like-for-like replacement of the ageing Trident fleet, which was also backed by Labour's Tony Blair in a 2006 review.
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