According to reports from British media, a Trident 2 missile test conducted by a British Navy submarine has been unsuccessful. This marks the second consecutive failure of such tests involving these missiles, which are capable of carrying nuclear warheads, often considered the ‘last resort’ among weapons.
The test was conducted off the east coast of the United States by the submarine HMS Vanguard. The Sun, which was the first to report the failed test on Monday evening, stated that the failure was due to the malfunctioning of the booster rockets, which resulted in the Trident 2 falling into the ocean and sinking. An anonymous source told the newspaper, “She left the submarine but just went ‘pop’ right next to them,” assuring that the submarine itself was not hit.
The last time such a test was conducted was in 2016. It is rare for the United Kingdom to conduct such tests, given that a single missile costs more than 17 million pounds (which is nearly 20 million euros).
The British Defense Secretary, Grant Shapps, was present on the nuclear submarine during the test, as confirmed by a Defense spokesperson. The specifics of the failure were not revealed due to national security concerns. The MoD has stated that an “anomaly” occurred during the test, which took place on January 30, but it reassured that the UK’s nuclear deterrent remains “effective”. However, the British Labor opposition is calling for more assurances from the minister in parliament due to these “worrying” reports.
The HMS Vanguard is one of the four Vanguard class nuclear submarines of the United Kingdom, which have been patrolling since 1994. One such submarine is always at sea. These submarines are armed with the US Trident 2 D5 missiles, which form the backbone of Britain’s nuclear deterrent. A Trident missile can hit targets that are more than 6,000 kilometers away. According to the Royal Navy, they can travel at speeds over 20,000 kilometers per hour when cruising.
