The United States Navy (US Navy) will upgrade its submarine fleet with new Trident II D5 ballistic missiles. According to a press release from the United States Department of Defense, Lockheed Martin has been awarded a contract worth US$ 581.2 million for supplying additional UGM-133A Trident II nuclear ballistic missiles.
In addition, the contract also benefits the United Kingdom, as it provides the new ballistic missiles to the Royal Navy, which are used by previous versions in their current Vanguard-class submarines, as well as future Dreadnought-class submarines currently under development.
Manufacturing work on the Trident II D5 ballistic missiles will be carried out primarily at Lockheed Martin’sMartin’s facilities in Florida.
Expecting them to be completed by September 2027; therefore, the final amount may change depending on whether the modification options considered by the United States Navy are exercised.
The Trident II D5 is considered one of the world’s most advanced submarine-based long-range nuclear ballistic missiles. They have a range of 6,437 to 11,265 kilometers, and their navigation subsystem uses a combination of inertial and satellite guidance.
It is currently the primary nuclear ballistic missile carried by Ohio-class submarines deployed by the United States Navy.
“The Trident II D5 missile has achieved 167 successful test launches since the design was completed in 1989, a record unmatched by any other large ballistic missile or space launch vehicle.” holds Lockheed Martin officially.
