Anti-nuclear campaigners have responded to news about further reliability issues with the Trident II D5 missiles.
Kate Hudson, CND general secretary, said:
“It’s time for the government to end its silence about the Trident missile crisis. It’s not enough for officials to send out press statements saying ‘we have absolute confidence’ in Trident when there is now a catalogue of very serious failures that the government needs to address.
“Last week we learnt that the government had covered up a misfired Trident missile, and today we found out about consistent reliability issues with the Trident II D5 missiles, as well as another misfired missile in 2011.
“In the commons debate on Trident replacement in July 2016, MPs were told by the government they were voting on reliable and safe technology, but it’s now clear that wasn’t true. Trident is unreliable and the head-in-the-sand approach of the government could prove catastrophic if it continues.
“We are calling for a Trident Inquiry. The public have a right to know the details of these cover-ups and failures.”