(VitalNews.org) – While some Russian commenters have mocked the US military following a failed launch test on November 2, an expert in the field of nuclear missiles told reporters that one failed test does not signal danger for the US or its military capabilities. The Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III is an intercontinental ballistic missile that has a long history in the US and was first deployed in 1970. It can reach speeds of 15,000 miles per hour and has a range of more than 6,000 miles. The long-relied upon missile forms part of an arsenal of approximately 400 missiles kept at several US military bases, and is due to be replaced with the LGM-35A Sentinel by the mid-2030’s.
During the November 2 test, the unarmed missile was deliberately terminated by the US Air Force and Space Force due to one or more unspecified faults. After being launched from California’s Vandenburg Space Force Base, the service noticed an anomaly in the exercise and made the decision to terminate the test in a safe and controlled manner, according to the service’s press report. As per a written statement provided by Captain Lauren Linscott, the Air Force regards any failed test as an opportunity to gather vital data in order to improve the missile for the future, and a launch analysis group will be created to better understand the incident.
This anomalous test has given some Russian commenters cause to express doubt in the capabilities of the US military, with one expert, Alexei Lonkov claiming that the test showed the missiles have “exceeded their service life”. The missiles have been subject to several extensions to their service life, and according to Matt Korda, a senior research fellow at the Federation of American Scientists who works on the Nuclear Information Project, one failed test does not spell disaster for the US military, whose tests fail less often than those of their Russian counterparts. Korda described Russia’s “Sarmat”, the recently created nuclear-capable torpedo, as being “plagued with difficulties”, having had no success regarding its development or testing so far. Despite this, he claims that the Russian military appears to be under heavy pressure to deploy the as yet unsuccessful missile.
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