Britain's nuclear weapons called into question after Trident missile failure

A Trident nuclear missile failed, plopping into the Atlantic during a test launch attended by the defence secretary last month, raising questions about the efficiency and effectiveness of Britain's nuclear weapons.

- Dan Sabbagh

The Ministry of Defence said "an anomaly occurred" during the exercise involving the submarine HMS Vanguard on 30 January that was "event specific", implying it would not have happened in the event of a war.

No further details about the embarrassing failure were provided, although the MoD insisted there were "no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpile". Defence sources said Grant Shapps, the defence secretary, was present when the test took place.

Subsequently, Tobias Ellwood, the former chair of the defence select committee, said in an interview with GB News that the problems related to testing gear. "I understand it was some equipment that was actually attached to the missile itself that prevented the firing of the rocket system after the missile had left the submarine," the MP said.

Nuclear firing systems are complex and rarely tested, with failures common, but it is the second time in a row a Trident missile test has gone wrong. In 2016, a missile had to be destroyed after going off course.