Russia conducted its first flight test of the RS-28 Sarmat intercontinental ballistic missile, the “Satan 2,” last month. Brad Bowman, senior director at the Center on Military and Political Power at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, writes that this underscores the need for the United States to modernize its nuclear triad.
- The Sarmat, with a reported range of 18,000 kilometers and features for evading missile defense systems, is designed to hold the American homeland at risk, said Bowman, a former national security advisor.
- He said the United States plans to replace the Minuteman III, around 50 years old, with the LGM-35A Sentinel Ground Based Strategic Deterrent and to continue testing the Minuteman III.
- The U.S. cancelled a test in March in fear of provoking Putin, but military leaders are saying tests need to move forward, Bowman said.
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- An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at 2:42 A.M. Pacific Time May 1, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aubree Milks)
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- An Airman from the 576th Flight Test Squadron educates members of the media about launch infrastructure in an underground launch equipment room Feb. 3, 2020, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. The 576th FLTS is America’s only dedicated intercontinental ballistic missile test squadron professionally executing tests that accurately measure the current and future capability of the ICBM force. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aubree Milks)
