{"id":21597,"date":"2019-11-13T10:00:34","date_gmt":"2019-11-13T10:00:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2019\/11\/13\/is-the-us-about-to-test-a-new-ballistic-missile\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:57:52","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:57:52","slug":"is-the-us-about-to-test-a-new-ballistic-missile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/space\/2019\/11\/13\/is-the-us-about-to-test-a-new-ballistic-missile\/","title":{"rendered":"Is the US about to test a new ballistic missile?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">WASHINGTON \u2014 The U.S. may be set to test a new ground-launched ballistic missile in the coming weeks, the first test of that particular weapon since the country withdrew from the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/08\/02\/landmark-us-russia-arms-control-treaty-is-dead\/\" target=_blank>Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty<\/a> earlier this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">In March, Pentagon officials told reporters that they <a href=\"https:\/\/www.militarytimes.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/03\/13\/pentagon-plans-tests-of-long-banned-types-of-missiles\/\" target=\"_blank\">intend to test<\/a> an intermediate range ballistic missile in the November time frame. At the annual <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/smr\/defense-news-conference\/\" target=\"_blank\">Defense News Conference<\/a> in September, Robert Soofer, deputy assistant secretary of defense for policy for nuclear and missile defense, confirmed that the Pentagon is roughly on track for that test.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI do believe it is still the plan to conduct a ballistic missile test before the end of the year,&#8221; he said then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Asked about Soofer\u2019s comments and whether those tests are still planned, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Robert Carver could not \u201cconfirm or deny a test will take place in November. I am unable to provide any details on testing dates, times or locations.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\t<aside class=\"smg-interstitial-link wp-block-smg-interstitial-link\">\n\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/pentagon\/2019\/08\/19\/pentagon-tests-first-land-based-cruise-missile-in-a-post-inf-treaty-world\/\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__inner\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__media\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" src=\"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/5679715.jpg.jpg?w=300\" class=\"smg-interstitial-link__image wp-post-image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"smg-interstitial-link__content\">\n\t\t\t\t<span class=\"smg-interstitial-link__kicker\">Related<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<h3 class=\"smg-interstitial-link__title\">Watch the Pentagon test its first land-based cruise missile in a post-INF Treaty world<\/h3>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"smg-interstitial-link__excerpt\">The test is the first time such a weapon has been launched by the U.S. since the INF Treaty went into effect.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/a>\n\t<\/aside>\n\t\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The test, should it happen as planned, is expected to involve a ballistic missile with a potential range of roughly 3,000-4,000 kilometers. Pentagon officials previously speculated that any deployment of such a weapon, potentially to Guam, would not be likely for at least five years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The United States exited the INF Treaty on Aug. 2, following through on a decision made <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/pentagon\/2018\/10\/19\/us-reportedly-poised-to-abandon-key-arms-control-treaty-with-russia\/\">late last year<\/a> that the agreement no longer benefited American interests. The INF Treaty was a 1987 pact with the former Soviet Union that banned ground-launched nuclear and conventional ballistic and cruise missiles with ranges of 500 to 5,000 kilometers. However, the United States and NATO allies have for years declared Russia in violation of the agreement. Russia has denied those accusations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">American officials have stressed they do not plan to build nuclear-capable systems that would have busted the INF Treaty\u2019s limits, but Defense Secretary Mark Esper <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/news\/pentagon-congress\/2019\/08\/02\/landmark-us-russia-arms-control-treaty-is-dead\/\">said his department will<\/a> \u201cfully pursue the development of these ground-launched conventional missiles as a prudent response to Russia\u2019s actions and as part of the joint force\u2019s broader portfolio of conventional strike options.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Among arms control advocates, the idea of post-INF weapons are worrisome. Kingston Reif, of the Arms Control Association, said the pursuit of conventional ground-launched intermediate-range missiles is \u201cmilitarily unnecessary, would force difficult and contentious conversations with and among allies, and likely would prompt Russia and China to take steps that would increase the threat to the United States and its allies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cA 3,000- to 4,000-kilometer-range ballistic missile would pose a much more direct threat to the Russian and Chinese homelands,\u201d Reif said. \u201cIt seems highly unlikely U.S. allies in Europe or Asia would host a missile that could strike deep into Russia and China in a matter of minutes. We could deploy such a missile in Guam, but their survivability wouldn\u2019t be assured there, thereby increasing crisis instability.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Tom Karako, of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, countered that the focus shouldn\u2019t be on the delivery system itself, nor if it could be done by an air- or sea-based system instead of by land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cThe better question is what posture and what cost-effective mix of capabilities can impose on our adversaries the most vexing set of problems, especially for their surveillance and targeting,\u201d he said. \u201cUp against Russia and China, the benefits of ground-based strike systems need to be part of the conversation for answering that question.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Pentagon is investing in several alternative ground-based systems, such a heavy focus on hypersonic weapons, including the Army\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/digital-show-dailies\/ausa\/2019\/10\/14\/how-the-us-army-is-building-a-hypersonic-weapons-business\/\" target=\"_blank\">Long Range Hypersonic Weapon<\/a> program. Investing in several options for that force posture mix is important, Karako said, so that the United States can avoid getting locked into one solution which, if countered, would leave the country vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cWe can\u2019t afford a force structure composed of a small number of silver bullets. It makes good sense to pursue a variety of delivery systems, trajectories, ranges, velocities, propulsion types and basing domains to support broad defense and deterrence goals,\u201d he said. \u201cThe future form of future strike will almost surely include a mix of UAVs, cruise missiles, ballistics and hypersonic glide vehicles. An IRBM for ourselves and our friends may well have a place in that mix.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Just what the test might look like is unknown at this time. Something like a land-based version of the Standard Missile-3 Block IIA, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.defensenews.com\/naval\/2018\/10\/26\/after-consecutive-failures-navy-has-successful-sm-3-missile-intercept\/\" target=_blank>usually launched from a ship<\/a> or during the first stage of an ICBM, would fit the rough range target. Another potential option might be modifying and launching a ground-based interceptor, part of the missile defense network; going down that path, Reif warned, would \u201craise all sorts of complications,\u201d as that system was meant to solely serve a defensive purpose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">A cruise missile test in August involved a variant of the Tomahawk land-attack weapon launched from a Mark 41 Vertical Launch System. While the Mark 41 is the same launcher used in the Aegis Ashore missile defense system, the Pentagon said at the time that this was a different variation on the Mark 41 and does not mean that Aegis Ashore could be turned into an offensive capability \u2014 something Russia has long claimed in objecting to Aegis basing in Europe.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><i><b>Updated 11\/14 at 5:36 PM to clarify Reif\u2019s quote.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile could be coming soon. Here&#8217;s what to watch for.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":44283,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-nofollow":"","_yoast_wpseo_canonical":"","_acf":"","_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":23,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","_smg_distribution_targets":{"2":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"4":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"5":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"6":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"},"7":{"categories":["pentagon-congress","news","daily-news-roundup","newsletters"],"primary_category":"pentagon-congress"}}},"categories":[160,163,36,19,23],"tags":[],"coauthors":[3378],"class_list":["post-21597","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-news-roundup","category-military-space-report","category-newsletters","category-pentagon","category-space"],"acf":{"subheadline":"","legacy_arc_id":"UPK4DALLKNA5DNOOCIAVL2PK2I","arc_canonical_url":"\/space\/2019\/11\/13\/is-the-us-about-to-test-a-new-ballistic-missile\/","remove_feature_photo":false,"is_sponsored":false,"subtype":"","redirect_url":"","disable_inline_ads":false,"native_logo_pretext":"Presented By:"},"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v26.0 (Yoast SEO v28.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-premium-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>Is the US about to test a new ballistic missile? - Defense News<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A test of an intermediate-range ballistic missile could be coming soon. 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