Lockheed Martin Space Systems has received a $22.3 million for fiscal 2019 Trident II missile production.

Work on the contract, announced Friday by the Department of Defense, will be performed in Sunnyvale, Calif., with an expected completion date of September 2023. Navy fiscal 2018 weapons procurement funds in the amount of $22.3 million have been obligated at the time of award.

The Trident II D5 is the submarine launched ballistic missile used by both the United States and United Kingdom. It has intercontinental range and can carry several nuclear warheads using multiple independent reentry vehicles designed to shower a wide target area, greatly increasing each missile's destructive capabilities.

The missile forms the sea-based leg of the nuclear "triad" for U.S. nuclear forces and is the sole deployed nuclear weapon system in use by the United Kingdom. They form a difficult to detect and destroy undersea deterrent what would ensure retaliation in the face of an enemy first strike against land missile forces.

The Trident II is currently deployed on U.S. Ohio-class and British Vanguard-class submarines. It is planned to be fielded by the future Columbia-class vessels as well.

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com

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US Air Force terminates ICBM test after 'anomaly'
Washington (AFP) July 31, 2018
The US Air Force had to abort a test flight Tuesday of an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile after it developed an "anomaly," officials said. The flight of the Minuteman III missile, which launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, was safely terminated over the Pacific Ocean at 4:42 am (1142 GMT). Officials are forming a "launch analysis group" to determine what caused the anomaly. "An anomaly is any unexpected event during the test. Since anomalies may arise from many f ... read more