The report titled ‘Masters of the Air: Strategic stability and conventional strikes’ has been written by Dan Plesch and Manuel Galileo. The United States (US) and its allies are capable of taking out all of Russia and China’s nuclear weapon launch sites within hours in case the need arises and this is not good for the world as a whole because it threatens stability and could cause various problems, according to a recent report.....CONTINUE READING THE ARTICLE FROM THE SOURCE
The report states that the edge that the US and its allies have in matters of weapon and strike capability could be contributing to fear in Russia and China, and it could already be contributing to an arms race.
The report titled ‘Masters of the Air: Strategic stability and conventional strikes’ has been written by Dan Plesch and Manuel Galileo.
The study focuses on the potential of the US and its allies to conduct a non-nuclear pre-emptive attack on its enemies using the conventional missile defense capabilities. It examines whether the US and allies have the capacity to destroy Russian and Chinese strategic nuclear forces with a non-nuclear pre-emptive attack.
The study comes a year ahead of the expiration of the US-Russian START process – which is scheduled to happen in 2025.
It calls for various international organizations to understand the seriousness of the situation and talk about a possible nuclear disarmament on both sides.
America and allies’ missile launch sites around the globe
The recent announcement of the US to deploy long-range missiles in Germany by 2026 is discussed in particular in the study. The deployment in southern Germany will bring several intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch sites of Russia in range.
It further states that the defeat of hard-to-reach mobile and concealed missiles can also be conducted by US aircraft with bombs and short-range missiles, and cruise and ballistic missiles. Cruise missiles include the JASSM-ER and -XR, Tomahawk, AMRAAM, SM-3 and SM6, fired from stealth bombers and other aircraft, vessels, and land bases.
Although Russia and China have made significant progress in radar detection, the report says it is still insufficient against the stealth which the US and its allies have. Moreover, the crewed aircraft and unmanned drones which the US has extend the range of the weapons and also lessens the time taken for impact.
Further, the Aegis, Patriot, THAAD, and other air defense systems give US the ability to shoot down Russian and Chinese ICBMs, alongside the air-to-air missiles which can be used to destroy them in the boost phase a few minutes after launch.
US dominates in sea and air too
Coming to the seas, the report says that the Russian submarines are easier to track and within range of the NATO countries.
The study further delves into the strategic bombers which China and Russia have. Terming the Russian TU-95MS “Bear” turboprop-powered strategic bombers as “slow and vulnerable,” the report adds that they could be problematic only if they are able to launch without being intercepted, something which shouldn’t be much of a problem for NATO.
Moreover, the TU-160/M “White Swan” strategic bombers used by Russia taking the US and its allies “by surprise are nearly null, as they are surpassed by American radar and air-to-air capabilities.”
Further, the report says that China lacks strategic range bombers capable of reaching targets beyond 6,835 miles (11,000 km).
The study’s findings and suggestions
In total, the study suggests that China and Russia might be trying to increase their nuclear and non-nuclear strike capability in a bid to even out the odds against the US and its allies.
It also cautions that such a huge difference can also lead to risky miscalculations on either sides incase a war breaks out.
“Our analysis reveals that the US and allies have a plausible present day capacity with non-nuclear forces to pre-empt Russian and Chinese nuclear forces by Detecting, Defeating and Defending against them,” the study says.
It suggests that this should serve as a baseline for studies of new technologies such as hypersonic missiles, AI, and the related issues of cyber, space and electronic warfare.
The report forms part of the project on a Strategic Concept for the Removal of Arms and Proliferation led by Professor Plesch at SOAS University of London.
“A focus of the project is on the need, as outlined by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his New Agenda for Peace from July 2023 for a new annual special session of the UN General Assembly on Disarmament and on examples and prototypes to implement general arms control and disarmament,” it says.
