January 25, 2017

HMS Vengeance

Trident II D5 Launch

Royal Navy Trident Missile ‘Malfunction’ Prompts Claims of U.K. Government Cover-Up

By: Jon Rosamond

January 25, 2017 3:08 PM • Updated: January 25, 2017 7:22 PM

Trident II D5 Launch. US Navy Photo

LONDON — The unshakeable reliability of Britain’s submarine-based nuclear deterrent has been called into question after a Trident II D5 ballistic missile reportedly veered off course during a test last year.

Vanguard-class submarine HMS Vengeance launched the unarmed missile during a post-refit demonstration and shakedown operation (DASO) off Florida in June 2016.

News of the test failure remained a closely guarded secret until last weekend, when the London-based Sunday Times revealed that the Trident system suffered a “serious malfunction” in a front-page story that sent shockwaves through the U.K. political establishment.

Media reports suggested that a navigational error may have occured and that the missile steered towards the U.S. east coast instead of continuing its intended course over the Atlantic Ocean towards Africa.

https://news.usni.org/2017/01/25/royal-navy-trident-missile-malfunction-prompts-claims-u-k-government-cover