The United States conducted a test launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), capable of carrying a nuclear charge. According to the Pentagon, the tests were successful, and the rocket launch was planned for five years and has no purpose to scare anyone. АиФ.ги I understood how the launch took place, why it was needed and what kind of rocket it was.
A working test launch of a missile without a warhead was carried out from the Vanderberg base in California. Minuteman III flew about 4,200 miles towards the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The tests were considered successful. It is emphasized that this test launch is not a response or reaction to world events. The launch schedule is drawn up five years before them, and planning begins six months before the event. The processed test test data will be used in the future to assess the combat readiness of missiles of this class.
The purpose of testing missiles is to confirm their combat readiness. Up to four launches are carried out annually. Such tests are needed to monitor the readiness of weapons systems. In addition, according to the military, the trial launch made it possible to convince the allies that the American nuclear deterrent is “safe, reliable and effective”. The previous rocket launch on May 5 was canceled due to a computer malfunction.
Minuteman III is a three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile. They were created in the late 1960s. They were one of the main deterrent forces of the United States during the Cold War, they have been in service with the US Army since 1970, at the end of 1978 their production was discontinued. They were planned to be decommissioned in 2020, but there are no modern analoguesit forced the Pentagon to extend the terms of their operation. So now, half a century later, the Minuteman III remains the only land-based intercontinental ballistic missile adopted in the United States. According to open sources, the United States has 450 Minuteman III missiles in total. The missile is capable of hitting targets within a radius of 12 thousand kilometers.
The missiles were subjected to repeated modernization, in particular, from 2007 to 2012, they replaced the Mk.12A combat units with the Mk.21, the installation of new guidance and control systems, power plants. At the same time, a number of American experts criticize the supporters of the program to extend the service life of Minuteman III missiles. In their opinion, the United States needs to improve the entire system related to intercontinental ballistic missiles: infrastructure, command andmanagement, as well as the industrial base. The military says that their operation will last at least until 2030. Perhaps by this time, the program for the development of new missiles, which is currently being engaged in at the Pentagon, will be completed.& nbsp;
By 2024, the Russian Strategic Missile Forces will stop operating Topol missiles. They will be replaced by intercontinental ballistic missiles “Yars”. The decommissioned Poplars will be used for civilian purposes.