Dangerous folly

The elimination of ICBMs would not risk US security. According to research by the Quincy Institute, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and generals like George Lee Butler and James E Cartwright, these land-based nuclear weapons are redundant. They represent an outdated Cold War strategy that massively increases the risk of nuclear war. Because their locations are well-known and vulnerable, they are sitting targets for attacks.

Unfortunately, there’s little time to spare if Trump is to eliminate them. The Pentagon is developing the next generation of ICBMs right now. The new fleet of 659 ICBMs, dubbed the Sentinel Program, comes with a staggering price tag of over $264 billion for its lifetime. This program is part of a larger nuclear “modernization” effort for which the Pentagon is planning to bill US taxpayers more than $1.5 trillion over the next 30 years as it replaces all of its nuclear missiles with new ones.

The current US nuclear “deterrent” consists of three legs: land-based ICBMs, submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and air-launched nuclear weapons. ICBMs, stored in underground silos across Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska, are the most vulnerable component of this system. Unlike nuclear-armed submarines, which remain hidden beneath the ocean, or bombers, which can be dispersed and recalled, silo-based ICBMs are stationary and can be easily targeted in the event of a conflict.

Beyond the financial burden and immediate risk to states in middle America, ICBMs pose a significant risk of causing an accidental nuclear war. These missiles are maintained on high alert and are designed for rapid launch in the event of a real or perceived attack. This “hair trigger” posture makes the risk of miscalculation due to false alarms or cyberattacks untenable. Numerous false alarms have nearly resulted in nuclear launches. ICBM launches cannot be recalled.

Both Russia and the United States continue to justify the existence of their ICBM forces based on the presence of the others. However, this mutual deterrence paradox only serves to perpetuate the risk of nuclear war. If the US took the lead in eliminating the redundant ICBMs – an action which adds no risk to national security – it could open the door to reciprocal reductions by Russia and China. These efforts would dramatically reduce the threat of an accidental nuclear conflict.

Scheduled ICBM Test from Vandenberg Space Force Base: Activists are well aware of ICBM wastefulness. Every few months, the US tests its current ICBM capabilities from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Lompoc, California. These tests are met with protests from activists who contend that such launches normalize the potential use of nuclear weapons. Activists convene, by car and by bus, at Vandenberg to protest the test launches, which usually take place in the early morning hours.The next test launch is scheduled to take place in a window between February 18 at 11:01 PM and February 19th at 5:01 AM local time. Activists are once again planning to protest the ICBM test launch.

MacGregor Eddy, a longtime Vandenberg protest organizer, said: “You don’t need to be a rocket scientist to oppose a rocket launch. Don’t be intimidated by experts, these tests are stupid and dangerous.” Previous protests at Vandenberg have been met with aggressive countermeasures. In 2012, famed Pentagon Papers whistleblower Daniel Ellsberg was arrested protesting ICBMs there. More recent retaliations against protesters include sprinklers being turned on and total cell phone service blackouts.

Excerpted: ‘Trump and DOGE Want To Cut Waste? This Upcoming Test Launch of a Nuclear Missile Is All Waste – and Dangerous Folly’. Courtesy: Counterpunch.org