U.S. tests missile after withdrawal from arms treaty

WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has conducted a test launch of an intermediate-range cruise missile for the first time since withdrawing from a Cold War-era arms control pact with Russia this month, the Pentagon said Monday.

The missile, which was fired from a mobile ground launcher and flew more than 300 miles before hitting its target, launched off the coast of California on Sunday afternoon, the Pentagon said in a statement. The missile “accurately impacted its target after more than 500 kilometers” (311 miles) of flight, the Defense Department said.

“Data collected and lessons learned from this test will inform the Department of Defense’s development of future intermediate-range capabilities,” the statement said.

The test follows the Trump administration’s formal withdrawal Aug. 2 from the IntermediateRange Nuclear Forces Treaty, a 1987 agreement that banned Washington and Moscow from testing, producing or deploying missiles with ranges from 310 to 3,100 miles. U.S. officials had long alleged that Russia acted in violation of the pact by deploying prohibited weapons.

“This is a very clear sign that the United States and Russia are on the verge of a new missile race,” said Daryl Kimball, executive director of the Arms Control Association, which opposed withdrawing from the treaty.

He said Russia would match deployment of such weapons “missile for missile” and noted that while the weapon being tested was conventional, it could be armed with nuclear warheads.

Russia, which has denied violating the treaty, has suspended its participation in the pact.

Kimball noted that the feasibility of plans for missiles such as the one launched Sunday is uncertain because lawmakers in the House have sought to ensure that the Pentagon cannot spend money on developing new intermediaterange missiles.

Pentagon officials also see withdrawal from the treaty as a chance to respond to China’s development of a missile arsenal. The Pentagon is trying to reorient toward competition with China and, to a lesser extent, Russia.