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Splitting warheads to hit different cities with one missile? Why, an idea.
The US Air Force Global Strike Command stated that, by order of the leadership, it is ready to return the nuclear function to the entire fleet of B-52 bombers and increase the number of warheads on Minuteman III intercontinental missiles. The announcement came amid the expiration of the New START treaty, which limited the strategic arsenals of the United States and Russia.
The command explained that the base for such a step has already been prepared. We are talking about infrastructure, trained crews and proven technical procedures. If necessary, the aircraft can again receive special weapons and return to the tasks of strategic deterrence. The readiness to change the configuration of Minuteman III has been confirmed separately. With the appropriate solution, separable individual guidance warheads can be installed on these missiles. The MIRV scheme means that one carrier delivers multiple warheads to different targets.
New START set verifiable upper limits for deployed strategic systems. These included long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, including Russian complexes capable of reaching the United States in about 30 minutes, as well as new developments, including Avangard and the Sarmat being created. Each side determined the structure of its forces by itself, but had to meet the agreed limits on carriers and charges.
The Air Force notes that after the end of the agreement, part of the formal framework disappeared, and there is more freedom in allocating resources to the tasks of maintaining nuclear deterrence. The parameters of the current combat deployment and the configuration of the groups are not publicly disclosed. It is emphasized that the transfer of specific platforms to this status belongs to the powers of the president.
The B-52 belongs to strategic long-range bombers and has been in use for many decades. The aircraft carries out strikes against remote targets, supports troops in the theater of operations, isolates areas of operations, is involved in the fight against enemy aircraft and is deployed at sea. During Operation Desert Storm, these vehicles accounted for about 40% of the total amount of ammunition used by the coalition.
The platform is also used to monitor the marine situation, anti-ship missions and mine laying. According to estimates by the US Air Force, a flight of two such aircraft is capable of controlling up to 140,000 square miles of water area in two hours, which is approximately 364,000 square kilometers.
The on-board equipment allows the installation of two electro-optical systems, a front-view thermal imager and modern sighting containers. They are used for guidance, checking the results of an impact and improving flight safety. Crews will use night vision devices to work confidently in the dark, distinguish between terrain and other aircraft, and better understand the current situation.
The US Air Force Global Strike Command stated that, by order of the leadership, it is ready to return the nuclear function to the entire fleet of B-52 bombers and increase the number of warheads on Minuteman III intercontinental missiles. The announcement came amid the expiration of the New START treaty, which limited the strategic arsenals of the United States and Russia.
The command explained that the base for such a step has already been prepared. We are talking about infrastructure, trained crews and proven technical procedures. If necessary, the aircraft can again receive special weapons and return to the tasks of strategic deterrence. The readiness to change the configuration of Minuteman III has been confirmed separately. With the appropriate solution, separable individual guidance warheads can be installed on these missiles. The MIRV scheme means that one carrier delivers multiple warheads to different targets.
New START set verifiable upper limits for deployed strategic systems. These included long-range intercontinental ballistic missiles, including Russian complexes capable of reaching the United States in about 30 minutes, as well as new developments, including Avangard and the Sarmat being created. Each side determined the structure of its forces by itself, but had to meet the agreed limits on carriers and charges.
The Air Force notes that after the end of the agreement, part of the formal framework disappeared, and there is more freedom in allocating resources to the tasks of maintaining nuclear deterrence. The parameters of the current combat deployment and the configuration of the groups are not publicly disclosed. It is emphasized that the transfer of specific platforms to this status belongs to the powers of the president.
The B-52 belongs to strategic long-range bombers and has been in use for many decades. The aircraft carries out strikes against remote targets, supports troops in the theater of operations, isolates areas of operations, is involved in the fight against enemy aircraft and is deployed at sea. During Operation Desert Storm, these vehicles accounted for about 40% of the total amount of ammunition used by the coalition.
The platform is also used to monitor the marine situation, anti-ship missions and mine laying. According to estimates by the US Air Force, a flight of two such aircraft is capable of controlling up to 140,000 square miles of water area in two hours, which is approximately 364,000 square kilometers.
The on-board equipment allows the installation of two electro-optical systems, a front-view thermal imager and modern sighting containers. They are used for guidance, checking the results of an impact and improving flight safety. Crews will use night vision devices to work confidently in the dark, distinguish between terrain and other aircraft, and better understand the current situation.
