US advances nuclear capabilities with latest Sentinel missile test
Americans conducted a test of the third engine of the LGM-35A Sentinel nuclear missile at Arnold Air Force Base in Tennessee, reports the Defense News portal. The trial is part of "significant progress in the implementation of the Sentinel program," through which the USA will introduce modern nuclear weapons into the army by 2031.
"This test is the latest part of the ground and flight test program and is intended to help us refine the Sentinel weapon," explained Gen. John Newberry, commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. The Sentinel program is set to replace the aging intercontinental ballistic missile LGM-30G Minuteman III (with the USA still having over 400 of these types of missiles in service), which is the backbone of American nuclear potential.
Sentinel to replace aging Minuteman III missiles
Americans report that, along with the army, companies such as Northrop Grumman and Aerojet Rocketdyne participated in the test. The study took place in a closed chamber at one of the military bases in Tennessee. However, the details of the trial are not known. It is unclear how long the firing of one of the rocket engines lasted and what the final result of the test was. It is known, however, that in recent weeks, Americans have conducted tests on several other elements of the rocket (including its front and rear covers).
Nevertheless, for the USA, this represents another significant step in the development of nuclear weapons and serves as a kind of "deterrent" aimed towards, among others, Russia. This is also another instance of the American army reporting on ongoing work on a powerful weapon. As of early March 2024, at the base of their air forces on the island of Guam, the still-developing super missile AGM-183 was spotted, which, according to assumptions, is to accelerate to about 15.2 thousand mph (~24,460 km/h).
Considering that Sentinel is a weapon currently in the development phase, its exact specifications are not fully known. However, from the publicly available information, it appears that the warhead used by this successor of the Minuteman III missile will most likely be a thermonuclear W87 in version 0 (300 kilotons of TNT) or a newer version 1 with an as-yet-unknown yield. The propulsion will be provided by a so-called stage motor, that is, a three-stage solid fuel propellant, in which each stage contains its own engine and fuel.
Let us also remind you that the development of Sentinel is currently a priority for US authorities. In recent months, it was revealed that the price of a single Sentinel missile is about 40 percent higher than assumed (amounting to about 160 million dollars), but with the development of this weapon, costs are expected to take a backseat.
