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WASHINGTON. — The United States is mulling starting testing later this year types of missiles that were banned by a decades-old nuclear treaty, US media reported on Wednesday.
The projects expected to be launched include a low-flying cruise missile with a potential range of about 1,000 km and a ballistic missile with a range of roughly 3,000-4,000 km, reported US media citing anonymous Pentagon officials. Neither of the missiles will be nuclear-armed, the officials added.
The cruise missile will possibly be flight-tested in August, according to one of the officials. Pentagon’s plan came over a month after the Trump administration announced in early February that the United States was withdrawing from the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty in six months, starting from Feb. 2.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also signed a decree earlier this month suspending Russia’s compliance with the INF Treaty with immediate effect. Signed in 1987 between the Soviet Union and the United States, the INF Treaty marked the first-ever pact reached by Washington and Moscow on nuclear disarmament and a major step forward in restricting the arms race.
However, the two sides have been accusing each other of violating the arms control agreement amid increasing tensions in recent years. – Xinhua
Online Reporter