US Threatens To Bail Out Of 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Treaty

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National Security Adviser John Bolton is poised to tell the Rooskies that the US will no longer honor a treaty that they have violated. This comes as the Cherokee Nation has made Bolton an honorary Cherokee Warrior Chief with the name of "He Who Clanks When He Walks."

An administration official confirmed on Friday that during his meetings next week with Russian officials, National Security Adviser John Bolton will inform Russia that the U.S. intends to pull out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Treaty, also known as the INF.

“Across two administrations, the United States and our allies have attempted to bring Russia back into full and verifiable compliance with INF," said the source, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "Despite our objections, Russia continues to produce and field prohibited cruise missiles and has ignored calls for transparency.”

Hyper velocity cruise missiles with a limited range (under 400 miles) are scheduled to be installed on Russian warships by 2022. These missiles do not violate the terms of the INF Treaty but modification can easily be made to incorporate intermediate range capability, especially for the Iskander land based cruise missile systems.These modifications may have already been prepared, but not tested just yet.

Russia’s 3M22 Zircon hypersonic cruise missile is expected to enter into production in 2018. The new weapon—which is capable of speeds of around Mach 5.0-Mach 6.0—is currently in testing. “

State tests of Zircon are scheduled for completion in 2017 in accordance with the contract, and the missile’s serial production is planned to be launched next year,” a Russian defense industry source told the Moscow-based TASS news agency on April 19.

The hypersonic missile—which is a component of the 3K22 Zircon system—will be incorporated into the nuclear-powered Project 11442 Orlan-class battlecruiser (NATO: Kirov-class) Pyotr Veliky when it completes its overhaul in late 2022. Sister ship Admiral Nakhimov —which is currently being modernized—will likely be the first Russian warship equipped with the new missile when it returns to service in 2018.

But under Trump the US military has not been resting on it's laurels. A new hypervelocity anti-missile munition that can be fired from a 155mm cannon will soon be tested.

The Pentagon’s Strategic Capabilities Office will test-fire a radical new missile defense system in less than a year.

The Hyper Velocity Projectile, a supersonic artillery round, is fired from ordinary cannon at 5,600 miles per hour and can kill incoming threats for a mere $86,000 a shot. 

Compare that to Patriot missiles, which require special launchers and cost roughly $3 million each.

The Hypervelocity Gun Weapon System (which comprises the HVP itself plus cannon, fire control, and radar) won’t replace high-cost, high-performance missiles, but it could provide an additional layer of defense that’s cheaper, more mobile, and much harder for an enemy to destroy.

This type of munition could also be used on the Navy's automated 5 inch cannons currently used by many US Navy warships. Tests are already under way. An additional factor for ship borne missile defense are powerful anti-missile lasers currently being developed and tested. The Ford class aircraft carriers have two nuclear power plants that can generate 600 MW of power, more than enough to maintain modern proposed weapons and defense systems.