The UK’s nuclear deterrent has failed during the past two test fires of the Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile.

A US-based company has been contracted to provide UK-specific support to the Royal Navy’s strategic nuclear deterrent programme, known colloquially as ‘Trident’, a name derived from the type of ballistic missile operated by the service’s Vanguard-class SSBNs.

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Briefly detailed in a 23 January announcement by the US Department of Defense (DoD), the contact will see Alexandria-based Systems Planning and Analysis (SPA) awarded a $67.5m cost-plus-fixed-fee term (including option years) task order to “support the Trident II Submarine Launched Ballistic Missile Strategic Weapons System (SWS)”.

Tasks to be performed by SPA include systems engineering and analysis support, technical assessments, arms control and treaty support, risk assessment, mission oversight counsel support, among others, as well as, crucially, “SWS UK unique systems engineering and programme support”.