A Trident nuclear missile has failed its second test launch, crash-landing close to the submarine that had deployed it.
Having taken place off the coast of Florida at the end of January, the unarmed Trident 2 missile was reportedly launched from HMS Vanguard before crashing shortly afterwards.
The UK’s Defence Secretary Grant Shapps was in attendance at the failed launch, and watched the rocket veer into Atlantic waters.
Marking the first test in eight years following another failed launch in 2016, the MoD’s latest blunder raises further questions about the country’s expensive nuclear defence mechanisms.
UK Health Secretary Victoria Atkins was forced to defend Britain’s nuclear deterrent following the incident, claiming she had “complete confidence” in the system despite recent failures.
The MoD also maintained that “there are no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpile”.
Trident has faced a lot of criticism in the past, not just because of its recent failings but also because of its staggering cost to the taxpayer.
What is Trident?
Trident is a collection of four nuclear-powered submarines that form part of Britain’s nuclear-deterrent system.
The Vanguard-class submarines are capable of carrying multiple missiles and warheads and can stay at sea for months at a time.
The idea is that Trident serves as a deterrent as it could deploy a retaliatory attack at any time should a nuclear missile be directed at the UK. These warheads are said to be able to hit targets more than 7,500 miles away – if they work.
According to the UK Gov website, there’s been at least one nuclear-armed ballistic-missile submarine floating in UK waters since 1969. Since 1994, the missiles haven’t been targeted at any state.
Built to last just 25 years, the four nuclear submarines are set to be replaced by a new class of Dreadnought submarines in the next few years.
According to the UK Gov: “This investment in our future security will ensure that the UK has a minimum, credible, independent nuclear deterrent for as long as the global security situation makes it necessary. “
Trident missile test failures
It’s the second time in eight years that the Trident system has failed its test launch.
According to a US defence official, in 2016, Britain’s Trident system similarly failed to successfully deploy a missile off the coast of Florida. At the time, the missile reportedly veered off course and headed toward the US before self-destructing.
In what was later seen as quite a controversial move, the House of Commons voted to approve a renewal of the Trident systems just months after the incident. The prime minister at the time, Theresa May, reportedly knew about the test failure but failed to tell Parliament before the vote.
The last time a Trident launch was successful was in 2012.
How much does Trident cost?
According to the UK Defence Journal, each launch costs an estimated £17 million.
However, the total costs of managing and servicing Britain’s Trident system are considerably higher.
The Government claims it cost around £21bn to initially acquire the Trident submarines, and around £3bn in annual costs for servicing as well as decommissioning.
A further £41bn has been set aside in preparation for the four submarines that will replace Vanguard systems in the next few years.
Even these numbers may not provide a complete overview of the true cost of Trident. The Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) claims it will total somewhere in the realm of £205bn to replace Trident systems.
Why is there opposition to Trident?
There’s been a lot of pushback to Trident because of the sheer cost of the project, as well as wider ethical concerns.
According to the CND, there’s also a major concern that the weapons are both “useless” and a “waste of money”.
“We have to ask if this is a good use of the Defence Secretary’s time – going to Florida chasing photo opportunities for what ultimately was an expensive failure,” the group’s general secretary, Kate Hudson, said:
“The Government can try and spin this, but nuclear weapons are clearly useless – as well as being a colossal waste of public money at the expense of vital public services. With an election just around the corner, it’s important that people bear in mind that voting for parties that support nuclear weapons means taking away money from healthcare, education, transport, and energy security. It’s time to stop the waste and get rid of these weapons of mass destruction once and for all,” she added.
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn similarly expressed opposition to Trident, and a recent survey found 15 per cent of the British public wanted the UK to entirely give up its nuclear systems.
However, in January 2024, approximately 42 per cent of people in Great Britain supported their country replacing their current Trident Nuclear Weapons system with an equally powerful system, when Trident reaches the end of its useful life. Support for the programme has risen in the past two years.
