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Trident II D5 Missile Achieves 127 Successful Test Flights
Sunnyvale CA (SPX) Aug 03, 2009 The U.S. Navy supported the May 26 launch of a U.K. Royal Navy Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM) built by Lockheed Martin. The unarmed missile was launched from the submerged Royal Navy submarine HMS Victorious (UK SSBN 06) in the Atlantic Ocean. The Trident II D5 missile now has achieved 127 consecutive successful test flights since 1989 - a record unmatched by any other large ballistic missile or space launch vehicle. "This performance has been achieved in tests conducted by the U.S. Navy and the Royal Navy over the past two decades," said Melanie A. Sloane, vice president of Fleet Ballistic Missile programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, the Trident missile prime contractor. "The cooperation of both governments, supported by industry, provides a credible strategic deterrent." The test was part of a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation following an overhaul of the submarine. For the test, a missile was converted into a test configuration using a test missile kit produced by Lockheed Martin that contains range safety devices and flight telemetry instrumentation. First deployed in 1990, the D5 missile is currently aboard U.S. Navy OHIO-class and Royal Navy VANGUARD-class submarines. The three-stage, solid-propellant, inertial-guided ballistic missile can travel a nominal range of 4,000 nautical miles and carries multiple independently targeted reentry vehicles. Share This Article With Planet Earth
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Boeing Delivers Harpoon Missiles With Updated Guidance Control St. Louis MO (SPX) Aug 03, 2009 Boeing has delivered the first four Harpoon Block II missiles equipped with a redesigned Guidance Control Unit (GCU), which provides growth capabilities and resolves obsolescence issues. The missiles were delivered to the U.S. Navy for transfer to two Foreign Military Sales customers. The new GCU, which controls most of the missiles' functions, incorporates a Selective Availability ... read more |
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