He will test-launch the Trident II D5 ballistic missile.

For the first time since 2016, Britain will test-launch a Trident II D5 ballistic missile from the refurbished nuclear submarine HMS Vanguard in the coming days.

The British Trident II D5 ballistic missile test launch in 2005. (Source: The Sun)

The Sun , citing sources, reported that the unarmed missile would be launched from a location approximately 90 kilometers off the East Coast of the United States.

On January 30, HMS Vanguard appeared at Port Canavarel in Florida. The U.S. National Geospatial Intelligence Agency then warned shipping companies about the possibility of missile launches.

According to reports, a test launch of the Trident II D5 is necessary to determine whether the submarine can be returned to service after its seven-year overhaul at Plymouth.

In addition to HMS Vanguard, the UK has three other Vanguard-class nuclear submarines built in the 1990s: HMS Victorious, HMS Vigilant, and HMS Vengeance. Currently, only two of them are fit for service.

By the early 2030s, the UK will begin replacing them with Dreadnought-class submarines.

The British Royal Navy has only launched the Trident II D5 five times in the 21st century. The most recent launch took place in 2016, by the submarine HMS Vengeance, and was believed to have a range of 9,000 km and hit a target in the South Atlantic, but it was diverted and self-destructed.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/anh-se-phong-thu-ten-lua-dan-dao-trident-ii-d5-259697.html