U.S. Test Fires Nuclear-Capable Minuteman III ICBM Amid Tensions with Russia, North Korea
The Air Force alerted Russia about its planned launch and insisted that it 'is not the result of current world events'
The U.S carried out a test launch of its nuclear-capable Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile early Wednesday morning from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.
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The unarmed missile was fired at 1:26 a.m. local time and traveled 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The Air Force alerted Russia about its planned launch and insisted that it “is not the result of current world events.”
It may not be a direct result of world events, but it likely doesn’t hurt the U.S. to keep its powder dry. As The Trends Journal forecast, the longer the Ukraine War drags on, the closer the world comes to nuclear annihilation. Russian President Vladimir Putin is reportedly planning to meet with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un and the pair are expected to talk weapons cooperation.
Major-General Alexander Vladimirov, who is best known for writing Russia’s so-called “War Bible,” said in an interview that it is just a matter of time before Russian President Vladimir Putin uses nuclear weapons during the Ukraine conflict.
“The goals of Russia and the goals of the West are their survival and historical eternity,” he said in a video posted on the VK social media platform, according to The Daily Mirror. “And this means that in the name of this, all means of armed struggle available to them will be used, including such a tool as their nuclear weapons.”
The U.S. said it wants to use the test launch to show allies around the world that Washington stands ready to support them.
“This test launch sends a visible message of deterrence on behalf of our joint forces and global partners, and I couldn’t be prouder of the professionalism of the Airmen and Guardians who comprise this mission,” Col. Chris Cruise, 377th Test and Evaluation Group commander, said in a statement.
The statement said the LG-35A Sentinel will replace the Minuteman III “with an initial capability of 2029.”
“Until full capability is achieved in the mid-2030s, the Air Force is committed to ensuring Minuteman III remains a viable deterrent,” the statement read.
TRENDPOST: Sergey Karaganov, a chairman at the Council of Foreign and Defense Policy and close ally to Russian President Vladimir Putin, put forth the case for Russia using targeted nuclear strikes in Europe to break the will of the West because the U.S. does not want a nuclear clash with Russia.
He made the argument in the Russian language weekly Profile magazine and it was picked up by Western news outlets. Karaganov argued that the use of targeted nuclear strikes could prevent a slide into global thermonuclear war by tapping into the West’s desire of self-preservation. He also said a strike on European countries doesn’t automatically mean a retaliatory strike.