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Minuteman III Launch: US Losing Expertise on Nuclear Triad Upgrades
Minuteman III Launch: US Losing Expertise on Nuclear Triad Upgrades
Sputnik International
The past several years have seen Washington partially losing expertise on developing nuclear warheads, Dmitry Stefanovich of the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations, told Sputnik.
2023-09-06T14:04+0000
2023-09-06T14:04+0000
2023-09-06T14:24+0000
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The US has test-launched the unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Vanderberg Space Force Base in California, its press office said in a statement on Wednesday.According to the US Air Force Global Strike Command, the goal of the test launch was to validate and verify the safety, effectiveness and readiness of the country’s nuclear weapons system.When asked why Washington had decided to test-launch the moth-balled ICBM, the Russian expert noted that the US has repeatedly dragged its feet on the process of fully-fledged modernization and renewal of its nuclear triad, which includes land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-armed submarines, and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs.He added that one can also notice that the US had lost "some part of so-called expertise both in the field of creating nuclear warheads and technologies for the production of components for them."Initially deployed back in 1970, the Minuteman III was fitted with several smaller warheads intended to destroy Soviet Union military facilities in the event of a nuclear exchange between the two countries.It was the first missile to carry multiple independent reentry vehicles (MIRV), able to lift three nuclear warheads, each with an explosive yield of 170 kilotons, or roughly 10 times the power of the bombs the US used to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
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the us' test launch of the unarmed minuteman iii intercontinental ballistic missile, vanderberg space force base in california, the us' full-fledged modernization of its nuclear triad, nuclear exchange
the us' test launch of the unarmed minuteman iii intercontinental ballistic missile, vanderberg space force base in california, the us' full-fledged modernization of its nuclear triad, nuclear exchange
Minuteman III Launch: US Losing Expertise on Nuclear Triad Upgrades
14:04 GMT 06.09.2023 (Updated: 14:24 GMT 06.09.2023) The past several years have seen Washington partially losing its ability to develop nuclear warheads, Dmitry Stefanovich of the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations with the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Sputnik.
The US has test-launched the unarmed
Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Vanderberg Space Force Base in California, its press office said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the US Air Force Global Strike Command, the goal of the test launch was to validate and verify the safety, effectiveness and readiness of
the country’s nuclear weapons system.
"The Minuteman III is a rather antiquated ICBM and it certainly yields to the Russian-made Yars ballistic missile in terms of characteristics," Dmitry Stefanovich said.
When asked why Washington had decided to test-launch the moth-balled ICBM, the Russian expert noted that the US has repeatedly dragged its feet on the process of fully-fledged modernization and renewal of its nuclear triad, which includes land-launched nuclear missiles,
nuclear-armed submarines, and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs.
“Namely, the US was not particularly interested in developing nuclear weapons after the end of the last Cold War, and before the start of a new one. Now, of course, this is again an extremely urgent issue [for Washington], who recently rolled out a new heavy bomber. Work is also underway to build a new submarine fitted with ballistic missiles and the Sentinel, [the Minuteman III’s successor],” Stefanovich said.
He added that one can also notice that the US had lost "some part of so-called expertise both in the field of creating nuclear warheads and technologies for the production of components for them."
Initially deployed back in 1970,
the Minuteman III was fitted with several smaller warheads intended to destroy Soviet Union military facilities in the event of a nuclear exchange between the two countries.
24 February 2021, 20:51 GMT
It was the first missile to carry multiple independent reentry vehicles (MIRV), able to lift three nuclear warheads, each with an explosive yield of 170 kilotons, or roughly 10 times the power of the bombs the US used to destroy the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.
