Lockheed Martin-Built Trident II D5 Missile’s Reliability Record Reaches 142 Successful Test Flights

The U.S. Navy conducted successful test flights April 14 and 16 of four Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missiles (FBMs) built by Lockheed Martin. The Navy launched two unarmed missiles each day from the submerged submarine USS Maryland (SSBN 738) in the Atlantic Ocean.

These tests marked the 139th, 140th, 141st and 142st successful test flights of the Trident II D5 missile since design completion in 1989 – a reliability record unmatched by any other large ballistic missile or space launch vehicle.

“Under the leadership of Navy Strategic Systems Programs, the Trident Strategic Weapon System continues to demonstrate solid reliability in operationally representative flight testing,” said Melanie A. Sloane, vice president of Fleet Ballistic Missile programs, Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company, the Navy’s Trident missile prime contractor.

Read more