The United States test-fired four unarmed, nuclear-capable missiles from a submarine in the Atlantic after China, its main adversary, showcased a similar weapon system.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
The U.S. and China possess the world’s second- and third-largest nuclear arsenals, with 5,177 and 600 warheads, respectively, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute. China is estimated to have over 1,000 nuclear warheads by 2030.
During a military parade earlier this month, Beijing highlighted its nuclear advances by unveiling no fewer than five types of new missile, including the JL-3 submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), which has an estimated range of 6,214 miles and can strike parts of the U.S. mainland when launched from China’s coastal waters.
SLBMs and their launch platform—ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs)—are part of America’s nuclear forces, along with land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and nuclear-capable bomber aircraft. This “nuclear triad” is intended to deter adversaries and achieve U.S. objectives should deterrence fail, the Pentagon said.
What To Know
Between September 17 and Sunday, a U.S. Navy Ohio-class ballistic missile submarine conducted test flights of unarmed Trident II D5 Life Extension (D5LE) missiles, which have an estimated range of more than 7,456 miles, while submerged off Florida’s east coast.
The missiles, capable of carrying eight warheads each, landed in a broad area of the Atlantic, the Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs said. Navigational warnings issued before the tests indicated the missiles could reach waters off southwestern Africa.
Prior to the official announcement on Tuesday, footage circulating on social media showed a bright object flying over Puerto Rico. The Navy confirmed that one launch test event on Sunday evening “lit up the night sky and was visible from Puerto Rico.”
The scheduled tests were not conducted in response to any ongoing world events, the Strategic Systems Programs said, adding that such tests are conducted on “a recurring, scheduled basis” to evaluate and ensure the weapon system’s reliability and accuracy.
U.S. nuclear forces regularly undergo tests to ensure they are reliable and effective. The Air Force, which is responsible for ICBMs and nuclear-capable bombers, test-launched an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from California toward the Pacific in May.
While it remains unclear which submarine conducted the tests, the U.S. Navy operates 14 Ohio-class SSBNs, six of which are East Coast-based, with the home ports in Georgia. Each submarine can carry up to 20 Trident II D5 missiles for nuclear strikes.
The Trident II D5s, developed in the 1980s, completed “a life-extension refresh” in 2017 to extend their service life into the 2040s, according to the Navy.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Navy’s Strategic Systems Programs said in a press release on Tuesday: “A credible, effective strategic deterrent is essential to our national security and the security of U.S. allies. U.S. strategic weapons capabilities deter aggression and assure our allies by providing unique deterrence effects no other element of U.S. military power can replace.”
U.S. Navy Vice Admiral Johnny R. Wolfe, director of the Strategic Systems Programs, said in a press release on Tuesday: “Our nation’s submarine-launched ballistic missile system has been a critical component of our national security since the 1960s, and these launches continue to demonstrate the credibility and reliability of our strategic deterrence capabilities.”
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen whether the U.S. and other major nuclear powers, including Russia and China, will conduct further strategic weapons tests by year’s end.
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