LONDON, Feb 21: The United Kingdom Navy has carried out an unsuccessful launch of a Trident II intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), The Sun reported on Tuesday, citing sources and the UK Ministry of Defence.
The launch was done from the HMS Vanguard ballistic missile-armed submarine while UK Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was on board,
The report said the missile dramatically misfired and crashed into the water just feet from the submarine that launched it. The missile was launched into the air, but the first-stage boosters did not ignite, and the missile carrying dummy warheads splashed into the water and sank, the report read.
“It left the submarine, but it just went plop, right next to them,” a source told the newspaper.
The newspaper reported that the incident occurred on January 30 off the coast of the US state of Florida. A probe into the circumstances of the incident was immediately launched, and a search was ordered to recover the top-secret missile technology from the seabed, the report said.
The UK Ministry of Defence said in a statement issued to the newspaper that an “anomaly occurred” during the launch but assured that London’s nuclear deterrent remains “effective.”
“HMS Vanguard and her crew have been proven fully capable of operating the UK’s Continuous At-Sea Deterrent, passing all tests during a recent demonstration and shakedown operation (DASO), a routine test to confirm that the submarine can return to service following deep maintenance work. The test has reaffirmed the effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent, in which we have absolute confidence.
“During the test, an anomaly occurred. As a matter of national security, we cannot provide further information on this; however, we are confident that the anomaly was event-specific, and therefore there are no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpile. The UK’s nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, and effective,” the report quoted the Ministry as saying.
The newspaper reported earlier that the UK Navy was preparing to carry out the first launch of a Trident II ICBM for the first time since 2016 in the Atlantic Ocean. The missile was planned to fly over 6,000 kilometres (3,700 miles) before splashing between Brazil and West Africa.
The previous launch of a Trident II ICBM from a UK submarine in 2016 also failed. The missile was planned to fly 9,000 kilometres from the Florida coast to a target southeast of Ascension Island, but it reportedly veered off course towards the United States and self-destructed. (UNI)
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