British nuclear missile test turned out to be a failure

A test of a British Royal Navy missile capable of carrying a nuclear warhead ended in failure as the Trident fell into the ocean seconds after launch.

This is the second such misfire, and some observers have questioned the viability of the British deterrent at a time of heightened nuclear tensions.

The Sun newspaper was the first to report that a test of a U.S.-made missile had failed. Defense Secretary Grant Shapps was aboard HMS Vanguard to observe the launch, but the ignition in the rocket’s first-stage boosters, equipped with mock warheads, failed.

The previous test launch took place in 2016, at which time the rocket veered off course toward the US mainland.

At the time, the incident sparked controversy not only because of its reputational implications for Britain’s nuclear deterrent. The malfunction occurred a month before the UK parliament voted to build a new class of submarines that are due to enter service in the 2030s.

However, the public only became aware of the failed launch in early 2017, with then-Prime Minister Theresa May not saying when she herself learned of the failed test.

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