MASTERS OF THE AIR
How US could wipe out Russia and China’s nuclear launch pads in just 2 HOURS in face of World War 3
The US is set to deploy long-range ballistic missiles in Germany by 2026
THE US is capable of destroying all of Russia and China's nuclear launchpads in just two hours, a military analysis has found.
American forces - along with Nato allies - could wreak havoc against enemy nations and obliterate their missile launching capabilities should a potential World War Three take place.
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And they can even reach and wipe out remote targets deep inside these countries if the US and its allies choose to destroy strategic enemy nuclear forces with conventional pre-emptive strikes.
Experts have found the US to have more advanced non-nuclear weapons that give the West an edge over regimes like Russia and China.
And that their nuclear launchpads are extremely vulnerable given "US and allies' technological and numerical advantages in conventional missiles and delivery systems".
The paper, authored by Prof Dan Plesch and Manuel Galileo, estimates Russia to have 150 remote nuclear launcher sites, while China has 70 in eastern central Asia - some 1,550 miles from the nearest border.
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And all of these targets could be reached by America's advanced arsenal of Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBM) to thwart a possible initial nuclear attack by Russia and China.
"The US and its allies can threaten even the most buried and mobile strategic forces of Russia and China," the report claims.
"Arithmetically, the numbers favour the US and allies ... not least given Russia and China's overall lesser detection capabilities and incrementally improving US missile defences."
The US is set to deploy long-range ICBM in Germany by 2026, which will bring all the Russian missile launchpads under its direct range.
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German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius said the deployment of long-range US missiles would give Europe the time to develop its own.
He said Europe had an "increasingly serious gap in capability" against what Russia and the US have.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has vowed to "target" European capitals in a furious tirade as the US seeks to deploy hypersonic missiles to Germany.
But with an estimated 3,500 of the joint air-to-surface standoff misles (JASSM) and 4,000 Tomahawks available to the US and its allies, even the most strategic locations inside Russia and China will be within reach.
These could easily transported to Nato locations in far eastern Europe using the Rapid Dragon system made out of military transport aircraft sych as C-17 Globemaster and C-130 Hercules.
The US is also capable of conducting blitzing airstrikes using its dangerous bombers and stealth fighters, including the F-22 Raptors, Lightning F-35s and F-117 Nighthawks.
Other long-range ballistic missiles including AMRAAM, SM-3 and SM6, can be fired from stealth bombers and other aircraft, vessels, and land bases.
Furthermore, advanced air defence systems including the Aegis, Patriot, and THAAD, give the US the ability to shoot down Russian and Chinese ICBMs.
The US also has air-to-air missiles which can be used to destroy enemy rockets in the boost phase just a few minutes after launch.
Although Russia and China have significantly improved their radar detection systems, they are still not enough against the stealth posses by the US and its allies, the paper claims.
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Moreover, the crewed aircraft and unmanned drones which the US has extend the range of the weapons and also lessen the time taken for impact.
Meanwhile, the report finds that Russian submarines - who have to potential to launch ICBMs - are much easier to track - and are within Nato countries' range.
While the strategic bombers in Russia and China's arsenal are significantly "slow and vulnerable", the experts argue.
They say Russia's chances of successfully using the advanced TU-160/M "White Swan" to take on the US are "null", given America's sophisticated interception technology and air-to-air capabilities.
And that China lacks strategic range bombers capable of reaching targets beyond 6,835 miles - something that does not make up for a threat to the US and its allies.
While chances of a possible military confrontation between Russia and the US are still low, Putin's illegal invasion of Ukraine has increased the risk drastically.
And experts in the paper have argued that America's military capabilities could trigger an arms race as Russia and China would want to balance out the threat
Putin on several occasions has threatened to use nuclear force if Russia's s sovereignty was threatened.
While satellite pics have revealed the top-secret launch site of Russia's feared "Skyfall" nuke.
Putin has boasted the 9M370 Burevestnik nuclear-armed cruise missile is "invincible" and has an almost unlimited range making it one of the most powerful weapons in Russia's arsenal.
A pair of US researchers spotted the likely deployment site of the weapon Nato has dubbed "SSC-X-9 Skyfall" in Vologoda, Russia.
Planet Labs, a commercial satellite firm, say a construction site is being used as a cover for the weapon.
Aerial pictures show a large base, 295 miles north of Moscow, known by two names - Vologda-20 and Chebsara.
Five nuclear warhead storage bunkers can be seen in the images with launch positions also present, the researchers said.
Decker Eveleth, an analyst with the CNA research and analysis organisation, said nine horizontal launch pads are also under construction.
He studied the satellite images and says each pad is located by a high berm in order to shield them from a potential attack.
Decker said that the site is likely being used "for a large, fixed missile system".
With the Kremlin only said to be developing the Skyfall nuke at the moment, he added.
The Skyfall weapon is widely regarded as a "super weapon" in Vlad's terrifying arsenal.
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A US intelligence assessment back in 2019 said the nuclear-powered Burevestnik may be ready to be deployed in six years - meaning it could be used by 2025.
Meanwhile, China began deploying a small number of nuclear weapons – a total of 24 – with their launchers, The Guardian reports.
Fears loom of World War Three
By Sayan Bose, Foreign News Reporter
IT is believed the world is closer to a full-fledged global war than it ever was since World War Two.
Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 initially raised questions but ongoing conflicts involving Iran and the Middle East, China and Taiwan, and North Korea have the world holding its breath.
It's been almost two years since Russian President Vladimir Putin launched a large-scale invasion of Ukraine and tensions between Russia and the West continue to rise.
Many fear the crisis in Ukraine could still develop into a wider armed conflict, with officials warning that further escalation could see the bloodiest conflict in Europe since WW2 if resulting in nuclear war.
North Korea is also ready to pounce on the West as Putin's alliance with deranged leader Kim Jong-Un continues to grow.
Putin has already unleashed North Korean rockets in Ukraine, killing hundreds in an unprecedented development.
But Kim has also threatened to start a war of his own after labelling South Korea his "principal enemy" - adding that the nuclear weapons at his disposal are not to be ignored.
This came just days after his sister and prominent ally - Kim Yo-Jong - vowed to unleash an "immediate military strike" on neighbouring South Korea over the "slightest provocation".
Meanwhile, the Middle East has become a tinderbox ready to be sparked at any minute.
What started as an Israeli retaliation against evil Hamas has now spilt to become a major regional conflict.
Iraq, Syria, Yemen and Lebanon have all been dragged into the conflict as have the UK and US.
Across the Asian continent, fears continue to mount over a possible Chinese invasion of Taiwan.
Beijing has already threatened to spark "uncontrolled escalation" and all-out warfare over one "misunderstanding", as President Xi Jinping looks to stamp his authority.
Taiwan's Democratic Progressive Party swept to victory in their elections - meaning there will now be at least four more years of limited to zero dialogue with Beijing.
The result has sparked concerns that there might be conflict with China if the DPP refuses to resume tense peace talks.
Chinese officials described the 2024 election as a choice "between war and peace" in a chilling warning shot to Taiwanese voters.
The nation is feared to be a major flashpoint between the US and Beijing - with a potential invasion forcing the US to abandon the island or face a full-scale war with China, which could have devastating consequences.
Amid the backdrop of China's imperialistic behaviour in the South China Sea, Xi may also leverage India's territorial disputes with Pakistan to strong-arm New Delhi.
And China may use the opportunity to try and capture Arunachal Pradesh and Aksai Chin - a region that the communist regime wrongly claims to be its own - from India.
What would happen if World War 3 started?
With the advancement of technology and modern weaponry, World War 3 could be the deadliest of all wars ever fought in the history of mankind.
We could see unparalleled levels of suffering, the displacement of millions, severe food insecurity, and disruption to essential services.
It is predicted that in the event of a nuclear war between the US and Russia, an estimated 99 per cent of the population in the belligerent countries, as well as Europe and China, would die.
Other attacks across the globe could result in catastrophic events - upending the structure of society completely.
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