U.S. forces recently completed two successful test-launches of unarmed ballistic missiles, exercises conducted to demonstrate the military’s nuclear deterrent force.
The U.S. Strategic Command, known as STRATCOM, said Monday that U.S. forces tested a submarine-launched ballistic missile and an intercontinental ballistic missile over the course of a week to verify the accuracy and readiness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent capability.
The Navy on Aug. 31 launched an unarmed Trident II D5 missile off the coast of Florida from the USS Maryland, an Ohio class ballistic missile submarine. The operation, called a Demonstration and Shakedown Operation, tested the readiness of the fleet ballistic missile submarine’s strategic weapons.
The test represented the 161st successful test flight of the Trident II D5 missile, which is the Navy’s latest generation of submarine-launched ballistic missiles. It was witnessed by Sen. Deb Fischer (R., Neb.), a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, who watched the submarine missile launch aboard the USS Maryland.
"From below the surface, I observed the exceptional members of the Navy’s ‘silent service’ as they conducted their drills," Fischer wrote of the operation in a weekly column. "It was a proud moment to see them carry out their indispensable mission of nuclear deterrence with precision and dedication."
U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. John Shaw, STRATCOM deputy director of global operations, also observed the test-launch and described it as a "terrific accomplishment."
"[The operation] showcased the ability of our [fleet ballistic missile submarines] to deliver our nation’s most survivable and enduring nuclear strike capability," Shaw said. "This launch was a terrific accomplishment for the USS Maryland, for Submarine Group 10, and for the entire team that provides the nation with a safe, secure, effective and ready strategic deterrent."
Less than a week later, a team of Air Force Global Strike Command airmen from the 341st missile wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, equipped with a test reentry vehicle, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The vehicle travelled roughly 4,200 miles before descending at Kwajalein Atoll, part of the Marshall Islands in the western Pacific, according to STRATCOM.
The Minuteman strategic weapon system is a key element of the U.S. strategic deterrent forces. Intercontinental ballistic missile test-launches provide the Defense Department with data on the reliability, accuracy, and performance of the ballistic missile’s weapon system.
Adm. Cecil Haney, the commander of STRATCOM, said that the test-launches of the missiles affirmed the readiness of the U.S. nuclear triad but emphasized the importance of modernizing U.S. nuclear infrastructure in order to deter threats.
"It is impressive to see today’s systems working well beyond their expected service life. These tests prove that our nation’s strategic triad of submarines, ICBMs, and bombers is safe, secure, effective and ready," Haney said in a statement. "But we cannot rely on that indefinitely. Sustaining and modernizing the nuclear enterprise infrastructure is crucial to maintaining a strong, credible and flexible nuclear deterrent, which is essential to our national security and the security of United States’ allies and partners."
Haney has previously made a point of stressing the need to maintain a strong nuclear deterrent and modernize elements of the nuclear triad, given military investments made by Russia and China as well as the nuclear programs of North Korea and Iran.
Just days after the intercontinental ballistic missile test-launch from California, North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a nuclear warhead, its fifth and most powerful nuclear test.
STRATCOM released photos showing the USS Maryland diving before test-firing the Trident II D5 missile and others capturing the Trident II D5 and Minuteman III missile launches.
STRATCOM is one of the Pentagon’s nine unified combatant commands, carrying out missions focusing on strategic deterrence, as well space and cyberspace operations, electronic warfare, missile defense, intelligence, and surveillance and reconnaissance.