Theresa May has refused to say whether or not she knew about the failed test before she made a speech supporting Trident.
Prime Minister Theresa May is under pressure to “come clean” about what she knew of a “covered up” botched missile test.
Sky News Defence Correspondent Alistair Bunkall understands that a malfunction in Britain’s Trident nuclear weapons deterrent meant a test firing was aborted.
But he has been told that an earlier report that the missile veered towards the United States is not true.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn told Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme the failed test was a “pretty catastrophic error”.
The Sunday Times reported that a Trident II D5 missile experienced a failure after being launched from the British submarine HMS Vengeance off the coast of Florida in June last year.
Downing Street is being accused of covering up the malfunction, which happened just weeks before a crucial House of Commons vote.
On Sunday, Mrs May was asked by the BBC’s Andrew Marr if she knew about the botched test when she made a speech supporting Trident ahead of the vote in July.
“I have absolute faith in our Trident missiles,” she said.
“It was about whether or not we should renew Trident, whether we should look to the future and have a replacement Trident.
“I think we should defend our country, I think we should play our role in NATO with an independent nuclear deterrent. Jeremy Corbyn thinks differently.”
Pressed twice more on whether or not she knew about the missile failure, Mrs May avoided directly answering the question, saying: “There are tests that take place all the time regularly for our nuclear deterrents.
“What we were talking about was a very serious issue”.
Mr Corbyn told Sophy Ridge: “We understand the Prime Minister chose not to inform Parliament, and instead it came out through the media.
“It’s a pretty catastrophic error when a missile goes in the wrong direction and while it wasn’t armed, goodness knows what the consequences of that could have been.”
He said it was time to pursue a policy of nuclear disarmament.
Scotland’s First Minister Nicola 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.”
Kate Hudson, general secretary of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, said the failed test “would have impacted on the debate in Parliament on Trident replacement.
“So the Government’s motivation for holding back this vital information is clear.”
MPs are now demanding an inquiry into the failed test and are calling for a Commons statement from Defence Secretary Michael Fallon on Monday.
Dr Julian Lewis, chairman of the Defence Select Committee, told Sky News if something had gone wrong it should have been revealed at the time.
He added that any cover up must be blamed on David Cameron, who was still Prime Minister in June, and not Theresa May.
“So if she had said anything about it, she would be having to point the finger at the previous government,” he said.
“I am afraid the Cameron administration has a bad record of playing politics with the nuclear deterrent.”
In July MPs voted to spend £40bn on renewing Trident.
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