UGM-133 Trident II

The UGM-133A Trident II, also called the Trident D5, is a submarine launched ballistic missile built by Lockheed Martin Space in Sunnyvale, California, and deployed with the United States Navy and the Royal Navy. It was first deployed in March 1990 and remains in service. With greater accuracy, payload, and range than the earlier Trident C-4, it is a key element of United States and United Kingdom strategic deterrence and complements the American strategic nuclear triad of land based intercontinental ballistic missiles and air based bombs and missiles. The Trident II is considered a durable sea based system capable of engaging many targets, with payload flexibility that can accommodate treaty requirements such as New START. Its increased payload allows nuclear deterrence to be carried out with fewer submarines, and its high accuracy, approaching that of land based missiles, has led it to be discussed as a potential first strike weapon.