LONDON: The Sun newspaper reported that Britain’s Trident nuclear-deterrent system experienced a malfunction during a recent test, resulting in a missile plunging into the ocean near the Florida coast, close to the submarine from which it was launched.
The Ministry of Defence acknowledged an “anomaly” during the test but assured that Britain’s nuclear deterrent remains secure and operational. Despite Defence Secretary Grant Shapps being present on the HMS Vanguard during the test, the missile’s first-stage boosters failed to ignite, leading to its failure.
This incident follows a previous test failure in 2016, highlighting challenges for a country once renowned for its naval prowess. An undisclosed source quoted by The Sun described the missile as simply dropping into the water near the submarine.
Shapps explained that the test was part of a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation to assess the submarine’s weapons and crew performance after a major refit. He emphasized that while the operation confirmed the readiness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent and certified the submarine and crew for operational duty, the anomaly encountered was specific to the event and doesn’t affect the overall reliability of the Trident missile systems or the country’s ability to deploy nuclear weapons if necessary.
