The Pentagon recently unveiled a new medium-range ballistic missile prototype, as part of a broader effort to bolster defenses and medium-range ground-based attack options
“The test missile launched from its static launch site and ended up in the open ocean after more than 500 kilometers of flight. The data collected and information gleaned from this test will inform the Department of Defense in developing future medium-range capabilities,” the US Department of Defense said .
The test, which took place on December 12 at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, is a very significant event. First, the missile launch represents a deliberate effort by the Pentagon to strengthen the country's medium-range weapons, something that has begun after the collapse of the INF treaty between the US and Russia.
The INF Treaty, violated earlier this year by Russia, led the US to develop a new series of intermediate-range weapons. The treaty banned the development of intermediate-range weapons in an attempt to reassure both NATO and Russia that attacks on the European continent would not be possible. A missile with a range of 500 to 600 kilometers allows Russia to attack a large number of countries around it. In the same way, these missiles can endanger many key Russian targets.
According to Northrop Grumman, one of the key participants in testing the prototype, this process is intended to help the Pentagon accelerate the development of these weapons.
The tests carried out earlier in December follow another test firing that took place in August of the current year, during which the Pentagon launched a variant of the well-known Tomahawk missile.
Block IV Tomahawks are known for their GPS targeting accuracy , long-range accuracy, two-way data link, and ISR-oriented “loiter” technology, which allows leaders to view battlefield video or targets in flight. Land-based firing naturally brings new attack options .
The capability to launch missiles with a range of 500 kilometers brings a series of significant implications, the first and most important of which is that it presents a defensive or deterrent weapon for Russia, after the collapse of the treaty.
These weapons could allow attacking forces to strike enemy targets from safer distances.
