For the first time since 2016, Britain will test-fire a Trident II D5 ballistic missile from the refurbished nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard in the coming days.
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| Test launch of a British Trident II D5 ballistic missile in 2005. (Source: The Sun) |
The Sun newspaper quoted sources as saying that the unarmed missile would be launched from a location about 90 km off the US East Coast.
On January 30, HMS Vanguard appeared at Port Canavarel in Florida. The US National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency then warned shipping companies about the possibility of missile launches.
According to information, the Trident II D5 test launch is necessary to determine whether the submarine can be returned to service after a seven-year overhaul in Plymouth.
In addition to HMS Vanguard, the UK has three more Vanguard-class nuclear submarines built since the 1990s: HMS Victorious, HMS Vigilant and HMS Vengeance. Only two of them are currently fit for service.
By the early 2030s, the UK will begin replacing them with Dreadnought-class submarines.
The Royal Navy has only conducted five Trident II D5 launches in the 21st century. The most recent was in 2016, launched by the submarine HMS Vengeance, which reportedly had a range of 9,000 km and hit a target in the South Atlantic, but changed course and self-destructed.
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