The Trident submarine USS Alaska (originally fitted with older Trident C4 missiles) fired one of its new Trident-II D5 missiles on the east coast test range on 17 March. The USS Nevada, USS Henry M Jackson, and the USS Alabama are scheduled to conduct similar test launches after their own conversions. Security at the Port Canaveral Base where the subs load the special unarmed missiles for their test shots is high and includes new equipment to detect nuclear materials entering or leaving. --Stephen V Cole