Missile Away!
34" x 48" oil (1986)
© Northrop Grumman

 

An Ohio-class SSBN will test-fire the Navy's new Trident II (D5) Fleet Ballistic Missile in sea trials on the Atlantic Range. The D5, with greater accuracy and throw weight than Trident I (C4), will be fitted in SSBN 734 and subsequent submarines in the 1990s. A joint venture of Thiokol and Hercules produces first- and second-stage solid rocket motors for Lockheed, the program prime contractor.

Artist's Note: The caption reflects the 1986 time frame. USS Tennessee (SSBN 734) is now part of America's underwater nuclear deterrent. With the 2001 consolidation with Alliant Techsystems, ATK Thiokol Propulsion builds all three stages of the Trident II.