In a demo operation Wednesday, the U.S. Navy launched an unarmed missile from a submarine off the coast of San Diego and the moment was a sight to behold.
The U.S. Navy released a photo of the test launch, snapped by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class, Thomas Gooley. The photo shows the missile coming out of crystal-clear waters on a sunny San Diego day. Its bright orange reflection can be seen in the water as it flies into the air.
The Navy said the unarmed Trident II (D5LE) was launched from the Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine USS Maine (SSBN 741).
Testing the readiness of the SSBN’s weapons systems and crew, the successful launch was a part of the U.S. Navy Strategic Systems Programs' demonstration and shakedown operation certification process.
This marks 177 successful missile launches of the Trident II (D5 & D5LE) strategic weapon system.
