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The US Army would be carrying out a test launch of a hypersonic nuclear missile Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) hours after voting closed on Election Day in California.
Designation |
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Operational Since |
Early 1970s. |
Component of U.S. Nuclear Triad |
Sole land-based component. |
Manufacturer |
Boeing Corporation. |
Replacement |
Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), expected to be available in 2029. |
Firsts |
First U.S. missile fitted with Multiple Independently Targetable Re-entry Vehicles (MIRVs). |
Missile Type |
Three-stage, solid-fuel missile. |
Range |
Maximum range of 13,000 km. |
Payload Capacity |
Capable of carrying three re-entry vehicles but currently carries a single nuclear warhead (as per arms control agreements with Russia). |
Deployment |
Dispersed in hardened silos and connected to an underground launch control center via hardened cables. |
Launch Characteristics |
Fast launch time, nearly 100 percent testing reliability, and backup airborne launch controllers to preserve retaliatory capabilities. |
A hypersonic weapon is a weapon capable of travelling at hypersonic speed, defined as between 5 and 25 times the speed of sound or about 1 to 5 miles per second (1.6 to 8.0 km/s). Below such speeds, weapons would be characterized as subsonic or supersonic, while above such speeds, the molecules of the atmosphere disassociate into a plasma which makes control and communication difficult.
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There are multiple types of hypersonic weapons:
Source:
PRACTICE QUESTION Q.Minuteman III is an intercontinental ballistic missile of which among the following countries? (a) South Korea (b) Russia (c) Japan (d) USA Answer: d Explanation: The LGM-30 Minuteman is an American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in service with the Air Force Global Strike Command. As of 2024, the LGM-30G is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States and represents the land leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, along with the Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) and nuclear weapons carried by long-range strategic bombers. |
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