Oops! American missile to replace Trident is too big for Britain’s nuclear submarines

The US nuclear-armed missile that the Westminster government is hoping will replace Trident may not actually fit into British submarines, creating a "major headache" for UK weapons designers.

The Sunday Herald has seen evidence that US designers are contemplating new missiles too big to slot into the tubes that house Trident's current D5 missiles.

Tenders to bid for a test-bed for future underwater-launched nuclear missiles issued by the US navy last month specify a missile diameter of up to 120 inches. The diameter of Trident's D5 missile tubes is 87 inches.

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