/View.info/ The training launch of the American ballistic missile Minuteman III was interrupted due to an “anomaly”. According to the official statement of the US Air Force Command, during the tests, the control of the missile was lost, as a result of which it was destroyed yesterday, November 1, in the sky over the Pacific Ocean.
„The Space Launch Delta unit safely liquidated a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile over the Pacific Ocean […] due to an anomaly during a test launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California,” – reported the Pentagon.
As noted by the US Air Force Command, any unplanned incident during a test falls into the category of “anomaly”. Officials did not say exactly what happened during the launch. It is noted that a group will be formed to investigate the causes of the incident, which will include experts from the government, the US military and other departments.
The Kremlin said the United States had informed Russia in advance of the planned tests, but did not comment on the failure of the US military.
Minuteman III missiles are the backbone of the land-based arm of the US nuclear triad. The Minuteman IIIs entered combat service in the 1970s, so some of the missiles are now 50 years old. The legacy missile’s successor, the LGM-35A Sentinel, is not scheduled to enter service until 2029.
This forces the Pentagon to regularly conduct test launches to verify that existing missiles meet technical specifications. In total, the United States has conducted 300 such launches, with the previous one taking place in April 2023.
However, the claims that the missiles are “obsolete” are not entirely true, noted military expert Oleg Zheltonozko in a commentary for IA Regnum. According to the specialist, the US Army regularly performs maintenance of the missiles by replacing individual elements.
„The design of the rocket is outdated, but physically it is new. The individual blocks are changed regularly. Technological changes are being made in new units. Technologies improve, assembly methods change. Outwardly, the rocket looks like a solid “cigar”, but consists of components that can be replaced. It is possible that some new component got damaged during the launch”, noted the expert.
The American media called the Minuteman III missile “a key element of the US strategic arsenal.” Its range of use is 15 thousand kilometers. Such a product, depending on its modification, can carry from one to three warheads with a power of 0.3–0.6 Mt.
About 400 missiles are located in underground silos at US military bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota.
Since the late 1990s, the Pentagon has developed several programs for their modernization, which includes updating various elements: on-board computers, guidance systems, warheads, security equipment, etc.
To check the quality of the modernization, training launches are regularly conducted, during which the possibilities of reaching the required trajectory, accuracy, range of use and a number of other characteristics are evaluated. One missile from the entire series is selected for testing, after which a decision is made on the need for further modernization and service life extension.
The most recent /Propulsion System Rocket Engine/ upgrade program includes replacement of the rocket’s propulsion system power plant and marching engine components. But fuel modules are generally completely replaced periodically as part of maintenance.
„They have a service life. Our liquid rockets are ampoulated, preserved and can last for a long time. But solid fuel delaminates, cracks appear in it and requires replacement. So maybe the failure occurred at level one of the new fuel blocks,” notes Oleg Zheltonozhko.
This version is supported by footage of the failed tests posted on the Internet.
The video, made by residents of California, captured the launch of the rocket and its further route. Experts drew attention to the fact that the first and second stages of the rocket separated normally. However, after the third stage was engaged, a malfunction occurred and the rocket began an “uncontrolled descent.”
Immediately before this, the rocket changed its trajectory, making an “up and down” movement, which is not predicted by its technical characteristics.
Failure of one of the stages is the most common cause of failed rocket launches. The first stage is designed to bring the missile to the required altitude, the second is responsible for the “turn” to the launch target, and the third brings the warhead to the target.
As a rule, a malfunction in the operation of the engines of one of the stages leads to the refusal of a training launch, a knowledgeable source who previously served in the missile forces noted in a comment for the Regnum agency.
„A situation may arise where the engines do not work or work abnormally. The engine management system may fail or the module itself may fail. You should understand that at such speeds and altitudes there is a thermal effect on the rocket and vibration loads. So most likely some individual element of the Minuteman couldn’t hold up,” remarked the interlocutor.
The source also indicated that the exact cause of the accident can only be determined experimentally. On the ground, it is extremely difficult to reconstruct the conditions of any particular launch, and computer modeling of the situation does not always reflect the real picture of events.
As a rule, a failure that leads to the failure of the entire test firing occurs in a fraction of a second, and the design, manufacturing technology and other factors can cause it to occur. Therefore, a final assessment of the incident can only be given by experts who have access to all the necessary data, and after a long investigation.
At the same time, experts note that it is a little premature to “bury” the US nuclear triad, since no country is immune from damage during a launch.
„This is not something exceptional. For example, we have the Proton rocket. During the Soviet years, he was the best in the world. Then followed a series of failed launches due to improper assembly and the missile lost its reputation. The reliability level of any product can increase or decrease depending on a large number of factors. notes Oleg Zheltonozhko.
It should be noted that the Pentagon traditionally explains the conduct of training missile launches with the need to demonstrate the readiness and effectiveness of national nuclear deterrence forces. In this sense, the American exercises can be seen as a kind of response to the latest exercises of the Russian nuclear triad.
The essential difference is that all of the Russian missiles fired from land, sea and air during the exercise eventually hit their target, but the American “response” was, to put it mildly, unsuccessful.
However, it is possible that the failure would rather prompt the United States to modernize its nuclear arsenal. In addition, the Pentagon earlier announced the development of a new generation of the B61 nuclear bomb, which is the main asset of American strategic aviation.
Translation: ES
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