The Department of Defense test-launched a ground-based cruise missile Sunday, the first test of its kind since President Trump removed the U.S. from a Cold War-era treaty banning them earlier this month.
"The test missile exited its ground mobile launcher and accurately impacted its target after more than 500 kilometers (310 miles) of flight," the Pentagon said in a statement. "Data collected and lessons learned from this test will inform the Department of Defense's development of future intermediate-range capabilities."
The test launch took place at San Nicolas Island, California, a remote island off the coast of Los Angeles, using a variant of the Tomahawk cruise missile.
Before Aug. 2, the test would have been illegal. The Intermediate Range Nuclear forces treaty, signed by the former Soviet Union and the U.S. in 1987, banned both countries from testing or fielding any missile with a range between 500 kilometers, or 310 miles, and 5,500 kilometers, or 3,417 miles. Trump announced he would be removing the U.S. from the treaty earlier this year because of concerns about Russian cheating.
The Obama administration accused Russia of violating the deal in 2014, but ultimately chose to stay with the agreement. China, which is not party to the agreement, has amassed an arsenal of missiles, some of which fall into the intermediate category. Recognizing these developments, defense officials and experts have expressed concern that the U.S. has fallen behind, leading the Pentagon to pursue its own capabilities now that the U.S. is out of the treaty. With no treaty in place, some are concerned a new arms race could take place, while others believe the treaty was dead once the Russians started cheating years ago.
"This is an important step in responding to Russia's treaty violations and toward shoring up conventional deterrence in Europe and Asia," Matthew Kroenig, deputy director for strategy at the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center, told the Washington Examiner.
"Critics of INF Treaty withdrawal said that it was a mistake because Russia, but not the United States, possess missiles in this range, so Russia would disproportionately benefit from the Treaty's demise. Today's test proved them wrong."
But the Pentagon still has work to do in other areas of missile defense. Officials and lawmakers are concerned that the U.S. may not be adequately prepared to defend against a new breed of missiles known as hypersonics, which are believed to possess extreme speed and maneuverability that can defeat conventional defenses.
