British nuclear submarine missile test failure.
According to the German newspaper “De Welt”, the test of a missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead by the British Navy failed by firing from a submarine. British media reported that a Trident 2 missile equipped with a dummy warhead misfired after being launched from the nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard and fell into the sea off the coast of Florida.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed that an “anomaly” had occurred during the test on January 30. Accordingly, the error was that it was a test shot. However, the nuclear deterrent, a cornerstone of Britain’s defense, remains “safe and effective”, the ministry claimed.
The missile was launched as planned using compressed gas in the launch tube, but then the first stage boosters failed to ignite and the Trident, equipped with dummy warheads, plunged into the sea and sank, The Sun reported. Sky News quoted a source as saying that the launch would have been a success if it had indeed been carried out with a nuclear warhead.
Sky News spoke of a “shameful defeat” for the Royal Navy. This was the second failed test of a Trident nuclear missile; An error previously occurred in 2016. The Sun reported that both Defense Minister Grant Shapps and Navy Commander Ben Kay were on board the Vanguard to witness the test. The opposition expressed concern about this.
The submarine is one of four so-called Vanguard submarines that have been in service since the 1990s. These submarines are to be replaced by the larger Dreadnought class submarines in the 2030s. Between £31bn and £41bn (€36bn to €48bn) has been made available for this, according to the House of Commons Library.