The defense Minister of Britain Michael Fallon is summoned to the House of representatives to report about the failure of tests of ballistic missiles. This writes the Sunday Times.
As it turned out, the British government concealed the unsuccessful launch of missiles Trident II D5, which took place shortly before a vote in Parliament on the modernization of the nuclear shield of the country, the newspaper writes. The rocket, which was equipped with a nuclear warhead, deviated from the set course and flew towards coast. The reasons for the unsuccessful launch were not disclosed.
According to the publication, the launch was made in June 2016 on the Florida coast with a Vengeance – one of four British nuclear submarines. The launch was only for four years.
The incident caused panic among government circles. According to them, information about the failure could undermine confidence in the capabilities of the UK nuclear deterrent.
The Trident missile is designed for carrying nuclear weapons, but during a failed test it was not installed warheads. Such a missile could destroy millions of people.
In July 2016, the British Parliament authorized the modernization of the Trident system.
Photo: mod.uk