Latest news with #GaryAshworth
American Military News
24-04-2025
- Science
- American Military News
US nuclear deterrent showcased with major ICBM launch
The U.S. Air Force announced a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test earlier this year to demonstrate the country's 'strong, credible nuclear deterrent.' In a February press release, the Air Force confirmed that a joint team of Vandenberg Space Force Base Guardians and Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile with a 'single telemetered joint test assembly re-entry vehicle' from Vandenberg Space Force Base. In the press release, the Air Force explained that the missile launch was a routine launch intended to 'demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, reliable, and effective in deterring 21st-century threats and reassuring allies.' 'Today's Minuteman III test launch is just one of the ways the Department of the Air Force demonstrates the readiness, precision, and professionalism of U.S. nuclear forces,' Acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary Ashworth said. 'It also provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrence mission.' The Air Force noted in the press release that the U.S. military has conducted more than 300 similar tests. The Air Force added that the missile launch was part of the military's efforts to maintain a 'credible deterrent' and was not conducted as a 'response to current world events.' READ MORE: Video: Trump threatens military force if Iran rejects nuclear deal 'Facilitating test launches from the Western Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base is a critical component of our mission and the national defense strategy,' U.S. Space Force Col. Dorian Hatcher, deputy commander of Space Launch Delta 30, said. 'Our Guardians and Airmen are dedicated to enabling Minuteman III tests to ensure a credible and effective deterrent for the nation.' Col. Dustin Harmon, commander of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group, explained that February's missile test allowed the Air Force and Space Force to collect and analyze performance data, allowing the U.S. military to observe the reliability and accuracy of the missile system and support improvements to the system. 'The data we collect and analyze is crucial for maintaining Minuteman III while we pave the way for Sentinel,' Harmon said. According to the Air Force press release, the U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile test launch program showcases the capability of the Minuteman III and helps the United States maintain its nuclear deterrent as a 'key element of U.S. national security and the security of U.S. allies and partners.'
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Air Force, Navy Warn Troops About Political Speech Amid Trump Administration Changes
New memos from the Air Force and the Navy warn troops to watch their political speech online and in person, and even mentioned Uniform Code of Military Justice violations for certain criticisms of the president or their superior officers. "The 1st Amendment protects freedom of speech and permits the expression of ideas for all Americans," Acting Air Force Secretary Gary Ashworth wrote in a March 17 memo. "Service members, owing to their critical role in our national security and the duties and obligations of service, have accepted limits on their freedom of expression." Military legal experts who spoke to find the mentions of potential UCMJ crimes to be somewhat unusual and even threatening to troops who likely don't have much to worry about when speaking about their personal experiences and beliefs. Read Next: Trump Announces 6th-Generation Fighter Jet Named F-47; Air Force Contract Awarded to Boeing Both the Air Force and Navy memos highlight several UCMJ violations including Article 88, a rarely charged offense that outlaws "contempt against officials" such as the president, defense secretary, Congress and other officials. Both memos also warn of violations such as Article 92 on failure to obey an order or regulation; Article 133 on conduct unbecoming an officer; and Article 134 on disorders and neglects to the prejudice of good order and discipline. "I think this message is troubling and vaguely threatening. It's clearly been reviewed by an attorney, but it's not giving an objective picture on the regulations surrounding free speech," one current Air Force judge advocate general, who spoke under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal, told "Its mention of criminal charges for disrespectful speech is also without helpful context." Service members accept some limits on their political speech when joining the military and are advised to avoid political campaigning or messaging while in uniform or in any official capacity representing the military. The rule is similar to the Hatch Act, which prohibits federal employees from certain partisan activities and was designed to assure federal programs remain nonpartisan. The Navy's March 14 admin to all sailors advises them to include disclaimers on social media clarifying their views are their own and don't represent the Department of the Navy or Department of Defense. "While service members may generally express their personal views on public issues, uniformed service brings certain limitations to expression, including on social media," the Navy guidance states. Both follow a Feb. 19 memo from the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense that advised the service secretaries to remind troops of their apolitical and nonpartisan duties. "Given the intense focus on recent changes within the department, maintaining the public trust is more important than ever," said the memo from Darin Selnick, who is performing the duties of the undersecretary of defense for personnel and readiness. The Pentagon under Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump is undergoing a series of unprecedented changes, from the ongoing firings of thousands of civilian employees, the purging of any content and policies related to diversity -- including women and troops with minority backgrounds -- to the cutting and reprioritizing of billions of dollars in defense spending. Dan Grazier, a senior fellow with the National Security Reform Program at the Stimson Center think tank in Washington, D.C., told that the language of the memos seemed pretty standard given the change in the White House, but said he did find the mention of Article 88 to be noteworthy. "This really seems pretty standard, particularly around the time of a presidential administration transition," Grazier said. "This is new people and new positions, and they're just putting out the current administration's policies." However, Article 88 has been used only a handful of times in recent years. In the 1960s, Lt. Henry Howe was sentenced under Article 88 for protesting the Vietnam War, calling then-President Lyndon Johnson a fascist. In 2021, former Marine Corps Lt. Col. Stu Scheller pleaded guilty to violating Article 88, among other violations, for publicly criticizing military leadership's handling of the Afghanistan withdrawal. Eric Carpenter, a former military lawyer who is now a law professor at Florida International University, told that the memo seemed standard and that mentions of the UCMJ violations were likely a way for the Navy and the acting secretary of the Air Force to show troops they're serious about their message. "If a secretary of a service is writing a memo saying 'knock it off,' they generally put some sort of teeth in it," Carpenter said. "So, there'll be some language in there that says, 'Hey, look, I'm not kidding.'" Carpenter said that troops shouldn't be concerned about talking politics with family and friends or being passively involved in the political process. He added that service members shouldn't be scared of recounting their personal experiences to reporters. "It's a reminder of boundaries," Carpenter said. "Airmen can still talk about their political feelings, or their political beliefs and what they disagree with an administration, with other people. They just can't get on stage and say it." Related: Defense Secretary Calls for Calm Transition, Apolitical Military Ahead of Trump Transition
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
U.S. Air Force test-launches nuclear-capable, hypersonic Minuteman III ICBM
Feb. 19 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force demonstrated the nation's nuclear readiness by launching an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early Wednesday morning. The test launch occurred shortly after Russia test-launched its Yars ICBM missile, and the Minuteman III completed a 4,200-mile course in about 22 minutes at a speed of 15,000 mph and splashed down at a test range near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Daily Mail reported. "Today's Minuteman III test launch is just one of the ways the Department of the Air Force demonstrates the readiness, precision and professionalism of U.S. nuclear forces," Acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary Ashworth said in an online announcement. "It also provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrence mission," Ashworth said. The launch occurred at 1 a.m. from the base that is located in California's Santa Barbara County and is intended to "demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrent," the Air Force Global Strike Command said ahead of the planned launch. "This test is routine and was scheduled years in advance," the AFGSC said. "Consistent with previous test launches, this ICBM test launch will validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system." U.S. officials transmitted pre-launch notification of the test-launch to 140 nations in accordance with the Hague Code of Conduct and notified the Russian government as required by bilateral agreements between the two nations. The Minuteman III ICBM is a hypersonic missile capable of traveling at a speed equal to at least five times the speed of sound and is capable of striking Moscow within 30 minutes of its launch. It can carry up to three nuclear warheads and can reach targets more than 6,000 miles distant, the Los Angeles Times reported. The missile has a maximum speed of 15,000 mph, measures nearly 60 feet in length and weighs about 80,000 pounds. While in flight, three solid rocket fuel engines power the missile, which follows a curved trajectory before releasing its warheads to strike their intended targets.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Air Force tests unarmed nuclear missile in pre-dawn video
The Air Force conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III missile early Wednesday to help ensure its land-based nuclear force still operates safely and effectively. Airmen from Air Force Global Strike Command launched the intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 1 a.m. Pacific Standard Time, the department said. The Minuteman missile carried no nuclear payload but was instead equipped with a test re-entry vehicle that was designed to transmit readings. The missile flew about 4,200 miles at speeds of more than 15,000 mph to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at the Marshal Islands' Kwajalein Atoll. Personnel at the test site, which is run by Army Space and Missile Defense Command, collected radar, optical and telemetry data as the missile closed in, to measure how well it worked. 'Today's Minuteman III test launch is just one of the ways the Department of the Air Force demonstrates the readiness, precision, and professionalism of U.S. nuclear forces,' acting Air Force Secretary Gary Ashworth said. 'It also provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrence mission.' The Air Force's arsenal of roughly 400 Minuteman III ICBMs is a crucial component of the nation's nuclear triad, along with bombers and submarines that can also carry and deploy nuclear weapons. The Minuteman III system is more than 50 years old and rapidly approaching the end of its life. The Air Force and Northrop Grumman are working on a replacement for the Minuteman III, the LGM-35A Sentinel, which is intended to start being deployed in the 2030s. But the ground-based systems for Sentinel — particularly its control infrastructure — proved to be more complicated than the Pentagon originally expected, and anticipated future costs ballooned. This set off alarm bells in the Pentagon and Congress in early 2024, and the program went under an intensive review. The military ultimately decided last summer Sentinel was too crucial to cancel, and that the Air Force must continue developing it to replace the Minuteman III. But the Pentagon ordered the Air Force to restructure the program and bring those anticipated costs down. The restructuring of Sentinel will likely delay it several years, Pentagon officials said in 2024, which means the Air Force must continue relying on Minuteman III longer than expected. Andrew Hunter, the Air Force's then-acquisition chief, said in July 2024 the Air Force will 'do what it takes to sustain Minuteman III to meet these warfighter requirements in the interim,' before Sentinel is ready. Col. Dustin Harmon, commander of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group at Vandenberg that oversaw the test launch, said the data collected from the test 'is crucial for maintaining Minuteman III while we pave the way for Sentinel.' Air Force going 'line by line' to bring down nuclear missile costs 'During this test, we collected and analyzed performance and other key data points to evaluate current missile system competencies,' Harmon said. 'This allows our team to analyze and report accuracy and reliability for the current system while validating projected missile system improvements.' This test was in the works for months, the Air Force said, and is the latest in a series of more than 300 other such test launches that the department regularly conducts. Vandenberg's Western Range is the main testing ground for Global Strike's ICBMs. In a video the Air Force released shortly after the test, a silo cover at Vandenberg can be seen sliding open before the test Minuteman launches in a burst of fire and roars into the pre-dawn sky. The missile was randomly selected from the Air Force's arsenal at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. Airmen transported the missile more than 13,000 miles to Vandenberg and reassembled it there for the test. Other Minuteman III missiles are based in Colorado, Montana, Nebraska and North Dakota, spread out across nearly 32,000 miles.
Yahoo
19-02-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
U.S. military tests nuclear missile in Southern California
If you were outside around 1 a.m. Wednesday on the West Coast, you may have seen or heard the U.S. military test-launching an intercontinental ballistic missile. A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen and Vandenberg Space Force Base Guardians launched an unmanned Minuteman III ICBM equipped with a 'single telemetered joint test assembly re-entry vehicle' from Vandenberg Space Force Base in Santa Barbara County, according to a media release from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force. Vandenberg serves as the primary testing ground for the Air Force Global Strike Command's ICBM deterrent infrastructure. Wednesday morning's test was part of what federal officials call 'routine and periodic activities' that ensure the United States' nuclear deterrent 'remains safe, secure, reliable and effective in deterring 21st century threats and reassuring our allies.' 'Wednesday's test launch is just one of the ways the [U.S. Air Force] demonstrates the readiness, precision and professionalism of U.S. nuclear forces,' Acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary Ashworth said. 'It also provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrence mission.' Over 300 similar tests have been conducted in the past, officials said. The 377th Test and Evaluation Group, which is located at Vandenberg SFB, is the nation's only dedicated ICBM test organization that professionally runs tests that measure both the current and future capabilities of the nation's ICBM force. According to 377th Test and Evaluation Group Commander Col. Dustin Harmon, officials looked at key data points that not only help maintain current ICBM technology but pave the way for new technology. 'During this test, we collected and analyzed performance and other key data points to evaluate current missile system competencies,' said Col. Harmon. 'This allows our team to analyze and report accuracy and reliability for the current system while validating projected missile system improvements. The data we collect and analyze is crucial for maintaining Minuteman III while we pave the way for Sentinel.' The Air Force's Sentinel weapon system is a modernization of the ground leg of the U.S. nuclear system being overseen by aerospace and defense firm Northrop Grumman. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
