US military cancels test of intercontinental ballistic missile to lower nuclear tensions with Russia
BREAKING: US military cancels test of its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to lower nuclear tensions with Russia
The U.S. has canceled its test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile after having delayed the test earlier this monthAn Air Force spokesperson said the decision to cancel the test comes in a bid to lower nuclear tensions with Russia during the war in UkraineRussian President Vladimir Putin said in February that his nation’s nuclear forces should be put on high alert, raising fears of a potential nuclear war When the U.S. first delayed the missile test officials said it was important to ‘bear in mind the risk of miscalculation and take steps to reduce those risks’The next Minuteman III test is scheduled to take place later this year
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The U.S. military has canceled a previously scheduled test of its intercontinental ballistic missile in a bid to lower nuclear tensions with Russia during the war in Ukraine.
The Air Force confirmed the cancellation of its Minuteman III test after Russia announced earlier on Friday it would military strengthen its western borders with Europe.
The U.S. had previously delayed the ballistic missile test on March 2 when Russia said it was putting its nuclear forces on high alert.
Washington said at the time it was important both that both nations ‘bear in mind the risk of miscalculation and take steps to reduce those risks.’ However, officials stated the intent was only to delay the test ‘a little bit,’ not cancel it.
Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek said Friday the decision to cancel the test of the LGM-30G Minuteman III missile was due to the same reasons as when it had been first delayed, but noted: ‘The Air Force is confident in the readiness of the strategic forces of the United States.’
The next Minuteman III test is scheduled to take place later this year.
The U.S. military has canceled a previously scheduled test of its intercontinental ballistic missile in a bid to lower nuclear tensions with Russia during the war in Ukraine. The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is pictured during a test launch in October 2019
The Air Force confirmed the cancellation of its Minuteman III test after Russia announced earlier on Friday it would military strengthen its western borders with Europe. Russian President Vladimir Putin is pictured attending a meeting with the Security Council on Friday
Russian President Vladimir Putin said in February that his nation’s nuclear forces should be put on high alert, raising fears that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear war.
In response, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made the decision to cancel the ballistic missile test that was scheduled for early March ‘to demonstrate we are a responsible nuclear power’.
Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby claimed the move was a show of ‘restraint’ amid warnings that Putin would be deploying vacuum bombs and cluster munitions across the border.
‘This is not a step backwards in our readiness, nor does it imply that we will necessarily cancel other routine activities to ensure a credible nuclear capability,’ Kirby assured the nation during his press on March 2. ‘We did not take this decision lightly, but instead to demonstrate that we are a responsible nuclear power.’
He added: ‘We remain confident in our strategic posture.’
Despite Russia’s threats, U.S. officials have said they have seen no reason so far to change Washington’s nuclear alert levels.
Air Force spokesperson Ann Stefanek (not pictured) said Friday the decision to cancel the test of the LGM-30G Minuteman III missile was due to the same reasons as when it had been first delayed in early March. Air Force marshals are pictured at a base in Romania in February 2022
The U.S. had previously delayed the ballistic missile test on March 2 when Russia said it was putting its nuclear forces on high alert amid the war in Ukraine. Ukrainian soldiers are pictured approaching a trench that had been used by Russian soldiers as they retake an area on the outskirts of Kyiv on Friday
However, experts warn altering the test schedule for America’s ICBM force can be controversial.
The nuclear-capable Minuteman III is key part of the U.S. military’s strategic arsenal and has a range of 6,000-plus miles and can travel at a speed of approximately 15,000 miles per hour.
Missiles are dispersed in hardened underground silos operated by launch crews.
U.S. Senator Jim Inhofe, the top Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee, expressed disappointment in March at the delay of a test he said was critical to ensure America’s nuclear deterrent remains effective.
Jeffrey Lewis, a missile researcher at the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS), played down the impact of the cancelation.
‘There’s a value to doing the tests but I don’t think missing one test in the grand scheme of things is a really big deal,’ said Lewis, adding the Minuteman III was extremely reliable.
Russia and the United States have by far the biggest arsenals of nuclear warheads after the Cold War that divided the world for much of the 20th century, pitting the West against the Soviet Union and its allies.
