A missile test involving Britain's Trident nuclear deterrent system ended in failure off the coast of Florida last year, a US defense official with direct knowledge of the incident told CNN on Monday.
The official told CNN that the incident, which happened last June in an the area off the Florida coast used by the US and the UK for missile tests, did not in involve a nuclear warhead.
Britain's Sunday Times newspaper reported that the missile veered towards the US coast, but the US official told CNN that this trajectory was part of an automatic self-destruct sequence. The official said the missile diverted into the ocean -- an automatic procedure when missile electronics detect an anomaly.
A month after the test, the UK parliament approved the renewal of Trident at a cost of £40 billion. Unaware of the failure, members of the House of Commons voted by 472 votes to 117 in favor of renewal.
On Sunday, British Prime Minister Theresa May was asked four times during an interview with the BBC's Andrew Marr Show whether she knew of the missile failure before the vote. May refused to answer.
Source:
http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/23/europe/trident-missile-failure-theresa-may/index.html
-- submitted from IRC
(Score: 5, Funny) by driverless on Tuesday January 24 2017, @10:36AM
I don't see what people have against Trident. If you walked into a nuclear missile showroom you would buy Trident - it's lovely, it's elegant, it's beautiful. It is quite simply the best. And Britain should have the best. In the world of the nuclear missile it is the Saville Row suit, the Rolls Royce Corniche, the Château Lafitte 1945. It is the nuclear missile Harrods would sell you. What more can I say?
(Score: 2) by requerdanos on Tuesday January 24 2017, @11:11AM
Perhaps post an affiliate link for interested governments to purchase said weapons system?
(Score: 2) by driverless on Tuesday January 24 2017, @11:20AM
Perhaps post an affiliate link for interested governments to purchase said weapons system?
Sure [youtube.com].
(Score: 2) by PiMuNu on Tuesday January 24 2017, @11:33AM
Its a classic...
(Score: 2) by driverless on Tuesday January 24 2017, @11:48AM
And sad that that (brilliant) political satire from 35 years ago still applies to Teresa May and Trident right now.
(Score: 2) by Gaaark on Tuesday January 24 2017, @12:00PM
It is a Starbucks super grande latte mucho frappucino cascara smoked ice espresso cinnamon Dolce con Lana (Lana!!)blehblahblah.
But it maybe is a McDonald's pee toilet too.
--- Please remind me if I haven't been civil to you: I'm channeling MDC. ---Gaaark 2.0 ---
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 24 2017, @03:56PM
For limited time, the missiles come with handy toasters absolutely free.
Call now!
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday January 24 2017, @05:59PM
Maybe an anti-missile missile?
(Score: 2) by driverless on Wednesday January 25 2017, @08:16AM
I don't see what people have against Trident.
Maybe an anti-missile missile?
Exactly. The Soviets might easily develop a multi-layered ballistic missile defence system which could intercept Polaris. In strategic terms, any day now [said in 1986]. 2020, but that's sooner than you think.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday January 25 2017, @08:04AM
I thought four out of five dentists recommended Trident...