Russia’s decision to withdraw its ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty prompts concerns about another nuclear arms race, especially in light of Russia’s increased military presence in the Arctic and the ongoing war over Ukraine.
Russia President Vladimir Putin says the country doesn’t intend to resume nuclear weapons testing, but does need to achieve parity with the United States.
The nuclear test ban treaty, which is signed by 177 countries (without Russia), may be in severe jeopardy. The treaty is not actually in force because six countries, including China and the United States, have signed it, but not ratified it, and three major nuclear powers — North Korea, India, and Pakistan — haven’t even signed it.
But in spite of what Putin is saying about not ratcheting up nuclear arms, last week the Russian military revealed that it had launched a successful intercontinental ballistic missile that can carry nuclear warheads from a submarine called the Emperor Alexander III. The test was conducted in Russia’s White Sea, and hit a testing range in the Kura Missile Test Range of eastern Kamchatka, some 3,442 miles away. The test may have occurred in late October.
It’s not the first intercontinental missile launched by Russia and won’t be the last, but it comes at an interesting time in world geopolitics.
In 2017, the submarine Yuri Dolgorukiy launched an intercontinental ballistic missile from the Barents Sea at Kura targets in Kamchatka, again from an underwater position. Kamchatka is about 1,540 miles from Dillingham, Alaska.
As the nuclear test ban treaty appears to be crumbling around the edges, and as Russia amps up its nuclear missile capabilities, Alaska has missile tracking capabilities at Clear Space Force Station, about 300 miles north of Anchorage, and interception launching capabilities at Fort Greely, 100 miles southeast of Fairbanks. The 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-based Midcourse Defense) destroys intercontinental ballistic missiles in mid-course to defend the United States.
In September, Russia fired cruise missiles at mock targets in waters between it and Alaska, which Moscow said was an exercise to protect its shipping routes in the Bering Sea. That exercise involved submarine-launched missiles, as well as ship- and land-launched ballistics. About 10,000 Russian military personnel took part in the exercise, which was observed by U.S. Coast Guard.
The test ban treaty is pointless in todays world.
Grandpa Bloodstains strikes again.
I appreciate articles like this. Thank you.
Russia both signed and ratified the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty. The US signed but never ratified the treaty. The US along with its’ NATO proxies created a tinder box in the Ukraine with the Maidan coup installing a “friendly” dictator in the most corrupt country in Europe. All opposition parties in Ukraine have been banned and an ethnic cleansing of ethnic Russians, who comprise almost half the population was initiated in the Donetsk region. The Minsk agreement, which would have ended the militarization of the region and recognized the rights of the Russian minority was terminated at the urging of the US through then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson. The EU has since admitted the Minsk negotiations were not serious, but an effort to buy time to fully arm the Ukraine. The US/NATO attempted to crush the Russian economy through sanctions, which have backfired. The effects of the sanctions and the US sabotage of the Nordstream pipeline, depriving Europe of reliable, clean and inexpensive energy have destroyed the German economy. The EU depends on the German economy. Refusing to enter the Minsk agreements and opting for a hot proxy war has demilitarized NATO of weapon systems and ammunition stocks. Vaunted NATO weapon systems have proven ineffective. Conversely Russia has mobilized it’s military, and its’ economy is expanding rapidly. Russia revoked its’ ratification of the test ban treaty in October in response to what it sees as an unstable, aggressive and existential threat posed by the US/NATO openly admitting that regime change and dismembering the Russian Federation is the goal. The US does not have the capability to intercept hypersonic missiles, nor do we have the capability to build our own. Our illustrious political, military and globalist corporate leaders have failed us in every manner conceivable. The utter destruction of the Ukraine follows our failures in Afghanistan, Iraq, Syria, Libya, ect. The Middle East has again been destabilized, plunged into chaotic violence, delaying the epic planned showdown with China over Taiwan delayed.
By golly you covered most of the bases. I wish more folks would wake up and smell the coffee.
Yes we do. Those space force boys are tending to our star wars lasers.
We are 50 years past whatever you can dream about in space. Thanks you dark knight and skunkworks
I must disagree with your assessments and details. I have friends in Ukraine – they say, in reference to who is to blame for the destruction, “No one likes Russians anymore.” Is there corruption? Probably (brandon too…) but no one is providing proof. Please support the Ukrainian people and stop shilling for those who would conquer the world.
Just another “inconvenient truth” to face when we hear the rest of the story.
It takes time to write history and in this scenario we are facing any outcome is possible from a little wiggle in the stream to a massive flood.
Brian – The majority of posters on here will tell you the Russian/Ukraine War started in February of 2022, not in 2014 as you have so brilliantly illustrated. Does that mean they are stupid? I don’t think so. It is just a testament to the power of the American Intelligence community’s propaganda machine to twist the narrative to a pre-determined outcome. Unfortunately, the best propaganda apparatus in the world will not save us from nuclear war.
The day nations outside of Europe got nukes, this treaty was pointless.
Like they are telling the truth on what they have buried in the sides of mountains in Russia.
Dumping $200+ billion in US “assistance” into Ukraine and Ukrainian corruption ain’t gonna deter Vladimir from developing and using nukes.
Let er rip… let’s ride the lightning !!!!
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