Britain's Trident Missile Launch Test Last Month Failed, Crashed Near Submarine Carrying Defense Minister

The British Vanguard Class submarine HMS Vanguard (S28) is equipped with the Trident SLBM ballistic missile. (Wikimedia Commons/CPOA(Phot)/Tam McDonald)

JAKARTA - The Trident II ballistic missile system failed to launch and crashed into the sea near the submarine that launched it, in a test last month off the coast of Florida, United States.

The Sun reported on Wednesday that the first phase of the booster on the missile, which was equipped with a mock warhead, did not turn on during the trial on January 30.

Meanwhile, Britain's Ministry of Defense said anomalies occurred during testing but the failure had no impact on the wider system.

"In terms of national security, we cannot provide further information on this matter, but we believe that the anomaly occurred specifically, and therefore there is no implication for the reliability of the Trident system and missile inventory," the ministry said in a statement.

"The UK's nuclear counter remains safe, secure and effective," the ministry added.

The Sun also said Defense Minister Grant Shapps was present on the submarine when the launch failed.

Ministry sources confirmed anomalies during the exercise involved British submarine HMS Vanguard, citing Anadolu from Sky News.

This failure is the second time in a row, after previous trials in 2016 faced similar problems and missiles got off track.

The failure of this trial will likely also exacerbate concerns over the readiness of the British Navy if it engages in a massive conflict.

Earlier this month, the Royal Navy of the Ministry of Defense had to pull the aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth from its largest NATO exercise since the Cold War, after routine inspections identified problems with the coupling to the carrier's right-handed propeller axis.

The UK nuclear deterrent system is provided by a fleet of four nuclear-powered submarines equipped with a Trident ballistic missile system.

According to the Royal Navy website, there has always been a British ballistic missile submarine at sea since 1969, and "a credible nuclear shallower relies on the ability to threaten a definite and effective response to aggression."