The past several years have seen Washington partially losing its ability to develop nuclear warheads, Dmitry Stefanovich of the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations with the Russian Academy of Sciences, told Sputnik.
The US has test-launched the unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Vanderberg Space Force Base in California, its press office said in a statement on Wednesday.
According to the US Air Force Global Strike Command, the goal of the test launch was to validate and verify the safety, effectiveness and readiness of the country’s nuclear weapons system.
"The Minuteman III is a rather antiquated ICBM and it certainly yields to the Russian-made Yars ballistic missile in terms of characteristics," Dmitry Stefanovich said.
When asked why Washington had decided to test-launch the moth-balled ICBM, the Russian expert noted that the US has repeatedly dragged its feet on the process of fully-fledged modernization and renewal of its nuclear triad, which includes land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-armed submarines, and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs.
“Namely, the US was not particularly interested in developing nuclear weapons after the end of the last Cold War, and before the start of a new one. Now, of course, this is again an extremely urgent issue [for Washington], who recently rolled out a new heavy bomber. Work is also underway to build a new submarine fitted with ballistic missiles and the Sentinel, [the Minuteman III’s successor],” Stefanovich said.
He added that one can also notice that the US had lost "some part of so-called expertise both in the field of creating nuclear warheads and technologies for the production of components for them."
Initially deployed back in 1970, the Minuteman III was fitted with several smaller warheads intended to destroy Soviet Union military facilities in the event of a nuclear exchange between the two countries......more below
https://sputnikglobe.com/20230906/minuteman-iii-launch-us-losing-expertize-on-nuclear-triad-upgrades-1113152235.html
US President Donald Trump confirmed on Wednesday the upcoming start of ground strikes against drug cartel targets in Latin America.
He made the remarks during Christmas greetings to the military.
Trump said the United States was "now going after the land" in its fight against drug cartel targets, noting that drug trafficking by sea was down 96 percent.
The U.S. president also extended special congratulations to the crew of the aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford, currently deployed in the Caribbean.
BEIJING (Sputnik) - China has begun operating the world's first intelligent ultra-large oil tanker powered by methanol, the China Central Television (CCTV) reported on Monday.
The tanker, designed to transport crude oil, was successfully put into operation in the city of Dalian in China's northeastern coastal province of Liaoning, the report said. State-owned company Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Co Ltd independently designed and built the vessel, it added.
The tanker is approximately 333 meters (1,092 feet) long and can carry around 2.1 million barrels of crude oil, the CCTV reported. Designed to produce low emissions and having intelligent control capabilities, the tanker will serve the route to the Middle East, among others, according to the report.
The vessel is powered by a dual-fuel methanol engine, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 92% compared to conventional fuel, the CCTV reported. It is equipped with an intelligent ship platform, an intelligent liquid cargo ...
A car bomb has killed a senior General Staff member, officials have confirmed
Source: The Investigative Committee
A Russian general has been killed in a car bomb blast in Moscow, the Investigative Committee has reported.
Officials identified the victim as Lt. Gen. Fanil Sarvarov, head of operational training at the General Staff. According to the statement, an explosive device had been planted beneath the vehicle he was traveling in, and detonated on Monday morning in the southern part of the Russian capital.
The blast also damaged several other vehicles and seriously injured Sarvarov’s driver, media reports stated.
Russian officials said one line of investigation is an assassination carried out by Ukrainian intelligence services, noting that Kiev has previously used explosive devices in targeted killings of officials and public figures.
Last December, a bomb hidden in an e-scooter killed Lt. Gen. Igor Kirillov, commander of Russia’s Nuclear, Chemical, and Biological Defense ...
