Non-Subscriber Extract
Trident II scores 120th consecutive flight test
By Doug Richardson
20 December 2007
The US Navy (USN) has conducted the 120th consecutive test launch of a Lockheed Martin Trident II D5 Fleet Ballistic Missile (FBM). It was launched from the submerged submarine USS Henry M Jackson (SSBN 730) from a location in the Pacific Ocean.
The launch was part of the Demonstration and Shakedown Operation (DASO) to certify the submarine for deployment, following a shipyard overhaul period and conversion from the earlier Trident I (C4) to the D5 configuration.
The Trident II D5 has achieved 120 consecutive successful test launches since 1989 - a record unmatched by any other large ballistic missile or space launch vehicle.