Opposition leaders in the United Kingdom are pressing for answers in the wake of a mistake during a June 2016 British navy submarine test in which a missile was reportedly accidentally fired toward the U.S. instead of its intended direction—west Africa. The unarmed Trident II D5 missile, capable of killing millions when armed with nuclear munitions, was launched from the HMS Vengeance during a practice firing in Florida. Downing Street said early Monday that Prime Minister Theresa May was informed about the incident. Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell has said it is “extremely worrying” that Parliament had not been told of the mistake. First Minister of Scotland Nicole Sturgeon tweeted, “This is a hugely serious issue. There should be full disclosure of what happened, who knew what/when, and why House of Commons wasn’t told.” Further details have not been released by the government.
