An unusual incident occurred during a missile test on a nuclear-powered Submarine HMS Vanguard, CNN quoted a British Defense spokesperson as saying on February 21. We believe this is just an isolated incident and does not affect the reliability of the Trident missile system, the spokesperson added.
The UK's Trident nuclear deterrent system previously encountered a problem off the coast of Florida in June 2016.
The latest incident, first reported by The Sun, occurred during a January 30 drill near Florida.
A source told CNN that The Sun's information was correct and that the tau crew completed the exercise perfectly using a fake warhead. The Trident 2 missile and the fake warhead were launched without a flame, but the missile's first phase of the missile's propellant did not catch fire, then sank into the ocean.
The source said the defect occurred in the test vehicle and the launcher could have been successful if a real nuclear warhead had been used.
British Defense Minister Grant Shapps was on board the HMS Vanguard at the time of the failed test.
Minister Shapps said on February 21 that this unusual test does not affect the reliability of Trident missile systems and stockpiles. It also has no impact on our ability to detonate nuclear weapons, if there are situations that we need to do so.
The British Defense Ministry spokesperson added that the UK's nuclear deterrence force remains safe, secure and effective.
HMS Vanguard and its crew have been proven to be fully capable of operating the UK's continuous sea deterrence system, passing all recent DASO tests a periodic test to confirm that the Submarine can return to operation after deep maintenance, the spokesperson said.
The opposition party called reports of the failed experiment worrisome.
According to the Royal Navy, the country has four nuclear-powered ballistic missiles, each equipped with a US-made Trident II D5 missile. The missile can target targets as far away as 6,400 km.
The annual cost of the UK's Trident II D5 missile warehouse that the country shares with the US at a facility in Georgia is about $15.1 million as of 2015.
The annual operating cost of the UK nuclear deterrent system is estimated at about 6% of the country's defense budget, equivalent to about 3.79 billion USD for 2023-2024.
The current Vanguard-class Submarines are expected to be replaced by four new Dreadnought-class Submarines in the early 2030s. The UK has spent $39 to $51 billion on new and upgraded subs.
