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US official says Trident test was a 'failure' as MPs are told it was 'successful' in Commons statement | |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A Trident missile did malfunction last year, a US official has confirmed – as MPs were being told they were not allowed to know the truth. | |
The rogue missile had to be ordered to “self-destruct” off the Florida coast, the American news channel CNN was told today. | The rogue missile had to be ordered to “self-destruct” off the Florida coast, the American news channel CNN was told today. |
It did not “veer” towards the US – as reported yesterday – the official said, but was diverted into the sea under an automatic procedure when a fault is detected. | It did not “veer” towards the US – as reported yesterday – the official said, but was diverted into the sea under an automatic procedure when a fault is detected. |
To the embarrassment of Defence Secretary Michael Fallon, the report emerged as he was insisting, in the Commons, that no details of the botched test could be revealed. | |
Both Labour and Conservative MPs accused Sir Michael of a cover-up, demanding to know when he – and then-prime minister David Cameron – were told. | |
One MP, Labour’s Kevin Brennan, said the secrecy undermined the Commons and was a “don't tell him Pike” strategy, after the Dad’s Army character. | |
Sir Michael was summoned to the Commons after Theresa May finally admitted she had been aware of the test, but insisted it had been a “successful”. | |
It was a “demonstration and shakedown” operation undertaken by HMS Vengeance following a refit and both submarine and crew had been “certified” to return to service, No.10 said. | |
Asked if the Prime Minister was told the missile had veered off course, her official spokeswoman replied: “I don't accept the premise of the question.” | |
That stance was then echoed by Mr Fallon, who insisted details of tests were never revealed – despite videos of previous successes being posted on YouTube. | |
But, even as he was speaking, CNN was reporting an explanation given by a “US defence official with direct knowledge of the incident”. | |
According to the Sunday Times, the missile was meant to be fired 5,600 miles from the coast of Florida to a sea target off the west coast of Africa - but veered towards the US. | |
However, the US official said the missile was diverted into the sea to self-destruct - an “automatic procedure when missile electronics detect an anomaly”. | |
Carol Jordan, a senior CNN news editor, tweeted: “A #Trident test did go wrong off the coast of #Florida but the missile self-destructed, a #US defense official has told #CNN”. | |
In the Commons, Sir Michael continued to state that the test had been “successful” and that decisions on publicity were made "on a case by case basis". | |
But Shadow Defence Secretary Nia Griffith said: “The British public deserve the facts on a matter as important as Britain's nuclear deterrent and they deserve to hear those facts from their prime minister, not in allegations sprawled across a Sunday paper. | |
“At the heart of this issue is a worrying lack of transparency and a prime minister who has chosen to cover up a serious incident rather than coming clean with the British public.” | |
The admission that Ms May was informed about the results of last June’s test came 24 hours after she refused – four times – to say if she had been aware of it. | |
She has been accused of keeping it quiet, just weeks before MPs backed the £40bn renewal of Trident by 472 votes to 117. |
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