Revealed: Modular Design Helped US Test-Fire Missile Soon After INF Treaty Withdrawal

As tensions between world powers continue to simmer, the U.S. military conducted a missile test last week that got Russia’s attention quickly. A new prototype of the ground-launched missile was tested out in California. The missile was conventionally configured and fell outside of the bounds of the limits set in the INF treaty of 1987.

The Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty between the United States and the then-Soviet Union banned all of the two nationsl land-based short-medium range and intermediate range ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, and missile launchers.

The U.S. government decided to back out of that treaty in August after it accused Russia of testing a land-based cruise missile. The United States gave Russia several years to right the ship before pulling out of the agreement. Russia is now trying to turn the tables on the U.S. The latest objections by Russia sound more like an angry child throwing a fit.

A report by Defense Blog shows that Vladimir Yermakov, director of the Non-Proliferation and Arms Control Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry, said: “The test was carried out just a few months after the United States exited from the INF Treaty, which indicates that the United States had started developing weapons banned by the agreement long ago.”

A source with the U.S. Air Force, speaking under the condition of anonymity, told International Business Times that a significant number of missile systems are modular and can be reconfigured quickly. That would explain how the U.S. could test a missile so quickly after it decided to exit the treaty. The U.S. kept its word with Russia until such time as the agreement was over.

The modular design concept of newer U.S. missiles allows the range, and payload capacity to be adjusted for the intended use of the weapon. The technology was originally developed for use in the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system (THAAD) but is easily adaptable to other missile systems. The U.S. did not deploy the technology during the treaty period, but had to ability to do so.

The Russian government claims that the United States has plans to carry out two more tests of missile prototypes by the end of 2019. When pressed about the possibility of deploying new missile systems to Europe, Defense Secretary Mark Esper took the route of plausible deniability, alluding that any system can be used where it is needed.