The test firing of a Trident missile from a submarine based at Faslane has failed – for the second time in a row.
The latest test of the UK’s nuclear deterrent was from HMS Vanguard and was witnessed by defence secretary Grant Shapps, who was on board.
It is thought that the missile’s booster rockets failed and it landed in the sea close to the launch site.
When on patrol missiles would usually carry nuclear warheads but they are not fitted for test fires.
British tests of Trident missiles are rare, with each missile costing around £17m – the last test in 2016 also ended in failure when the missile veered off course.
A Ministry of Defence spokesperson said: “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 – 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 Royal Navy’s four Vanguard-class submarines, which have been in service since the 1990s, are due to be replaced by the bigger Dreadnought-class submarines in the 2030s.
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