Britain’s Trident nuclear deterrent system experienced a problem during a test last month when a missile crashed into the ocean off the coast of Florida near the submarine it was launched from, British tabloid The Sun can reveal.

According to the newspaper, the missile’s first stage thrusters, which are equipped with dummy warheads, did not fire during the January 30 test.

The British Ministry of Defense announced that an anomaly had occurred during the test, but had no consequences for the operation of the wider system.

“For reasons of national security, we are unable to provide any further information on the matter, however we are confident that the anomaly was an isolated event and that there are therefore no wider implications for Trident missile systems and their stockpiles,” the statement said. Ministry of Defense. The UK’s nuclear deterrent remains safe and effective.”

Britain’s nuclear deterrent is based on its fleet of four nuclear-powered submarines equipped with the Trident ballistic missile system manufactured by Lockheed Martin.

According to the Royal Navy’s website, since 1969, one of the Trident submarines has always remained afloat. “Credible nuclear deterrence depends on the ability to articulate a threat for an assured and effective response to an attack.”

Britain’s nuclear deterrent costs around £3 billion a year to keep operationally reliable. The amount corresponds to 6% of the total defense budget.

In 2016, Parliament approved the construction of a new generation of submarines, which are expected to enter service in the 2030s. Their cost is estimated at 31 billion pounds.

In 2016, another incident became known during a test in which a missile was found off course.