U.S has tested a new ground-launched cruise missile.
Department of Defense announced on Monday that the test was successful.
The test was conducted from San Nicolas Island, Calif.
It is important to note that the missile test would not have been permitted under the Intermediate
Range Nuclear Forces or INF Treaty.
The test was possible since the United State abandoned conformity to the treaty as of 2nd
Aug 2019.
In this video Defense Updates analyzes U.S testing new land based cruise missile after
withdrew from INF Treaty.
Let's get started.
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INF Treaty was signed by Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1987.
It banned ground-launch missiles with ranges from 500 km to 5,500 km that is 310 to 3420 miles
The INF Treaty eliminated around 2,700 nuclear and conventional missiles, as well as their launchers.
This was achieved by May 1991.
This included short-range missile with 310–620 mi that is 500–1,000 km range and intermediate
range missile with 620–3,420 mi that is 1,000–5,500 km range.
The treaty had provisions for 10 years of onsite inspections.
INF Treaty went a long way in ending the serious standoff between U.S Pershing and cruise missiles
and Soviet SS-20 missiles in Europe.
It should be noted that the treaty does not cover sea-launched missiles.
There were 2 main factors that resulted in in U.S abandoning the treaty which we will
now look into one by one.
On November 29, 2017, speaking at the Wilson Center, National Security Council official
Christopher Ford had revealed that the weapon violating the INF Treaty was the Novator 9M729,
having NATO designation of SSC-8
This newly developed missile is reported to be derived from 3M14 Caliber-NK land-based
cruise missile and probably uses some design elements of Kh-101 air-launched cruise missile.
There is limited information on the missile but it is expected to use Transport Erector
Launcher.
The missile is thought to be guided by Inertial Navigation System.
As per the United States, Novator 9M729 is land-based and has a range between 500 km
to 5,500 km that is 310 to 3420 miles depending on fuel load and warhead used.
This makes the missile violate the terms of the INF treaty.
The 9M729 is capable of hitting targets throughout Western Europe with tactical nuclear warheads
in the event of a conflict.
In December 2017 the U.S. government had sanctioned several companies involved in the production
of the 9M729, including lead contractor Novator.
In February 2018, the Pentagon concluded that Russia was actively violating the terms of
the agreements.
In October last year, President Trump claimed the agreement did little more than interfere
with U.S. military development.
The president had said at a Nevada rally, “I don't know why President [Barack] Obama
didn't negotiate or pull out, we're not going to let them violate a nuclear agreement and
go out and do weapons, and we’re not allowed to.”
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg concurred with Trump's assessment.
He stated, "After years of denials, Russia recently acknowledged the existence of a new
missile system, called 9M729.
Russia has not provided any credible answers on this new missile.
All allies agree that the most plausible assessment would be that Russia is in violation of the treaty.”
The INF Treaty already had much opposition in America’s power circle.
This is not only because of the Russian aspect but also due to the Chinese factor.
Harry Harris, the former commander of U.S. Pacific Command who is now U.S. ambassador
to South Korea is one of them.
In testimony submitted to Congress last year, Harris pointed several important aspected.
He noted that China is not a signatory of any treaty like this and used it to develop
a large arsenal of missiles.
As per him, the Chinese Rocket Forces has more than 2,000 ballistic and cruise missiles,
almost 95% of which would violate the INF treat if China was a signature.
The Pentagon stated that U.S military successfully tested “a conventionally configured ground-launched
cruise missile at San Nicolas Island, California.”.
The specific branch of the military which conducted the test was not disclosed.
The Department of Defense said in a statement Monday, adding that “data collected and
lessons learned from this test will inform the Department of Defense’s development
of future intermediate-range capabilities.”
The department said the missile “accurately impacted its target after more than 500 kilometers”
(311 miles) of flight.
As per reports, the missile was launched from Mark 41 Vertical Launch System.
It is to be noted that the same launcher is used in the Aegis missile defense system.
The Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense System or Aegis BMD is a United States Department
of Defense Missile Defense Agency program developed to provide missile defense against
short to intermediate-range ballistic missiles.
It is part of the United States national missile defense strategy.
Aegis BMD (also known as Sea-Based Midcourse) is designed to intercept ballistic missiles
post-boost phase and prior to reentry.
The Aegis combat system forms a critical component of the Ticonderoga & Arleigh Burke warships.
Aegis Ashore is the land-based component.
Both the land & sea based Aegis uses Mark 41 Vertical Launch System to launch interceptor
missiles like SM3 & SM6.
Aegis Ashore launchers are currently present in Poland and Romania.
But as evident the Mark 41 Vertical Launch System can be used to fire purely offensive
missiles.
Also, a variant of the new missile could be developed that may carry nuclear warhead in
the future.
Russia has called the presence of Mark 41 launchers in Europe as a violation of the treaty
This is where the new American missile will be useful.
The U.S. government's 2018 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) pointed to the fact that Russia
is lowering its threshold for using low-yield nuclear weapons in wartime and warned that
the U.S. must move to match this capability.
The NPR stated, “Russia’s belief that limited nuclear
first use, potentially including low-yield weapons, can provide such an advantage is
based, in part, on Moscow’s perception that its greater number and variety of non-strategic
nuclear systems provide a coercive advantage in crises and at lower levels of conflict.”
This is where the new American weapons will be useful.
In that situation, just like Russia will have a way to strike Europe, the U.S will have
a way to strike Russia from Europe.
This will mean both sides will be back on the same situation which had led to the INF
Treaty in the first place and it will actually be worse as they will have nukes that have
lower usage threshold.
Since the distance between Russia and Western Europe is very small, both parties will have
very little time to react in case a missile launch is triggered.
This is bound to complicate the security situation.
It is clear that with the end of INF Treaty , the probability of a nuclear conflict has
increased significantly.
Russia blamed the Trump administration for the collapse INF treaty and warned of a potential
new arms race.
President Vladimir Putin called on the U.S. to resume nuclear talks so that the strategic
stability could be safeguarded.
Putin said in a Kremlin statement on August 5, the demise of the INF has “created fundamental
risks for everyone,” . He suggest a return to “common sense” in international security
policy.
President Trump recently stated that his administration had been discussing with Russia "about a pact
for nuclear weapons, so that they get rid of some, we get rid of some".
He also added."We'd certainly have to include China at some point,”
It remains to be seen if a new treaty comes into place.