WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — The US Navy conducted its 155th successful test of the Trident II D5 submarine-based ballistic missile, the missile’s manufacturer Lockheed Martin said in a statement.
“These latest test flights demonstrate the reliability of the D5 missile and the readiness of the entire Trident Strategic Weapon System every minute of every day,” Mathew Joyce, Lockheed Martin Vice President of Fleet Ballistic Missile Programs said in the statement on Monday. “The Navy program office, the submarine crews and the industry team never rest to ensure the safety, security and performance of this crucial deterrence system.”
The D5 missile was first deployed on the US Navy’s Ohio class submarine and the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy Vanguard submarines in 1990. The D5 missile can travel 4,000 miles and carries multiple nuclear warheads.
The submarine-based Trident nuclear ballistic system has been deployed since the 1950s as a key element of the United States’ nuclear deterrent posture.
