Defence Secretary Confirms ‘Anomaly’ Occurred During Trident Test Operation

Defence Secretary Grant Shapps confirmed an “anomaly” occurred during a test operation of nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard, following reports of a Trident missile test failure. In a written statement to Parliament on Wednesday, Mr. Shapps said the test, conducted on Jan. 30, “reaffirmed the effectiveness of the UK’s nuclear deterrent” and that the submarine and crew “were successfully certified and will rejoin the operational cycle as planned.” Mr. Shapps continued: “On this occasion, an anomaly did occur, but it was event specific and there are no implications for the reliability of the wider Trident missile systems and stockpiles. Nor are there any implications for our ability to fire our nuclear weapons, should the circumstances arise in which we need to do so.”...