§ Lord Reayasked Her Majesty's Government:
When is the first test firing of a UK Trident IID5 missile expected to take place.
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Defence (Viscount Cranborne)HMS "Vanguard" is scheduled today to launch an unarmed Trident II D5 ballistic missile off the coast of Florida as part of her demonstration and shakedown operation. I shall inform noble Lords of the outcome of the firing in due course.