Pentagon DELAYS another intercontinental ballistic missile test to avoid angering China during military drills

[beijingwalker]

Pentagon DELAYS another intercontinental ballistic missile test to avoid angering China during military drills: Republicans says Biden wants to 'placate Xi’s tantrums' and 'weak-kneed' appeasement will only invite more aggression​

• The Pentagon on Thursday postponed a test of the Minuteman III missile
• A defense official said the delay was to avoid exacerbating tensions with China
• Beijing has launched live-fire exercises around Taiwan after Nancy Pelosi's visit
• The official said the postponement was to 'remove any misunderstandings given the [People Republic of China's] actions around Taiwan'
• Tests were delayed earlier this year because of Russia's aggression in Ukraine

By ROB CRILLY, SENIOR U.S. POLITICAL REPORTER FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

PUBLISHED: 19:29 BST, 4 August 2022 | UPDATED: 20:00 BST, 4 August 2022

An official told the Wall Street Journal that Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin postponed the test to 'remove any misunderstandings given the PRC's actions around Taiwan'

The Biden administration postponed a routine test launch of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental missile on Thursday to avoid further enflaming tensions with China.

The U.S. has repeatedly delayed tests this year as Beijing ramps up its rhetoric over Taiwan, which it views as Chinese territory, and as Russia waged war in Ukraine.

This time, the test was postponed after China deployed dozens of planes and fired missiles near Taiwan in a show of strength in response to the visit of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

The test was due to be conducted from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, officials told the Wall Street Journal.

Republicans were quick to condemn the move, at a time when they said it was wrong to placate Chinese leader Xi Jinping.

A defense official said Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered the delay to prevent tensions being raised further.

'This is a long-planned test but it is being postponed to remove any misunderstandings given the PRC’s actions around Taiwan,' the official said, referring to the People's Republic of China.

The Minuteman III is a vital part of the U.S. military's strategic arsenal.

The nuclear-capable missile has a range of more than 6,000 and can travel at speeds of up to 15,000 miles per hour.

Development of the original Minuteman began in the 1950s and it took its name from the Colonial Minutemen of the American Revolutionary War, who were ready to fight at short notice.

Rep Mike Rogers (R-AL), lead Republican on the House Armed Services Committee, condemned the decision which he said was designed to 'placate Xi’s tantrums.'

'This news comes after China conducted live-fire exercises following the Speaker of the House's visit to Taiwan,' he said.

'These weak-kneed pearl-clutching attempts at appeasement hurts our readiness and will only invite further aggression by our adversaries.'

A March test was also delayed after Russia said it was putting its nuclear forces on high alert. It was postponed till April before being delayed again.

Washington said at the time that it was important both nations 'bear in mind the risk of miscalculation and take steps to reduce those risks.' However, officials said the intent was only to delay the test 'a little bit,' not cancel it.

This time it comes as China holds live fire exercises in the waters around Taiwan.

The autonomous island said China fired 11 ballistic missiles into waters off its south-western and north-eastern coasts on Thursday during a two-hour period.

Beijing also scrambled fighter jets and sent some of its most up-to-date warships to surround the island, in what state media said is a rehearsal for an invasion. The drills are due to last until Sunday, and are due to including long-range bombers and hypersonic missiles. China's two aircraft carriers are also holding position nearby.

American forces - including the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier which is forward-deployed with the Pacific Fleet - are thought to be lurking nearby, while missile-tracking spy planes have been sent to watch over the drills.

Xi Jinping announced the exercises using Pelosi's trip to the island - which took place from Tuesday and Wednesday - as an excuse.

She is the most-senior politician to visit since Newt Gingrich in 1997, but her trip came shortly after a Senate delegation visit drew no response.

Earlier, Secretary of State Antony Blinken attempted to ease tensions and accused China of trying to manufacture a crisis.

'We remain committed to our One China policy guided by our commitments to the Taiwan Relations Act, communiqués. … And I want to emphasize: nothing has changed our position and I hope very much that Beijing will not manufacture a crisis or seek a pretense to increase its aggressive military action,' he said at the ASEAN-US ministerial meeting in Cambodia.

Much of the world believed that escalation could have 'unintended consequences' that would serve no-one's interests,' he added.

Washington has reached out to Beijing to deescalate tensions, he said.

Pentagon DELAYS another missile test to avoid angering China

The Biden administration postponed a routine test launch of an Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental missile on Thursday to avoid further enflaming tensions with China.

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[beijingwalker]

US postponed missile test due to heightened tensions with China over Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan
By CNN News
Published August 4, 2022 11:33 AM

REUTERSMichael Peterson/US Air Force/Reuters

The US has postponed a long planned missile test over concerns about China's angry response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's trip to Taiwan at the beginning of August

By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent
The US has postponed a long planned missile test over concerns about China’s angry response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan earlier this week, a US official tells CNN.

The decision to postpone the test flight of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile comes as China launched military exercises in response to Pelosi’s visit.

“Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has directed DOD to postpone the scheduled test flight as a prudent step,” the official said.

The decision was made due to to “increased military activity by the People’s Republic of China around Taiwan,” the official said. “This is the type of thing responsible nations do,” the official said of the postponement. The test was scheduled to happen Wednesday evening into Thursday. It will now happen at a later date to be determined.

China made good on its promise that Taipei would pay a price for hosting Pelosi by launching multiple missiles toward waters near northeastern and southwestern Taiwan on Thursday.

This is not the first time in recent months that the US has canceled a missile test due to geopolitical events. In March, Austin canceled a planned test of a Minute Man III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile to avoid “any actions that could be misunderstood or misconstrued” during heightened tensions with Russia, then Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said at the time.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the missile test delay.

Unarmed US ICBMs are routinely tested to ensure reliability of the systems.

US postponed missile test due to heightened tensions with China over Pelosi's visit to Taiwan – KION546

By Barbara Starr, CNN Pentagon Correspondent The US has postponed a long planned missile test over concerns about China’s angry response to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan earlier this week, a US official tells CNN. The decision to postpone the test flight of an unarmed Minuteman III...

kion546.com

 

[beijingwalker]

US chain of command is in question, house speaker goes against the will of the president , white house has to repeatedly correct the president's public statement, military chielf makes phone calls to foreign counterparts without the president's acknowledge.

 

[beijingwalker]

Missile test from California scrapped because of tensions with China​

PUBLISHED: August 5, 2022 at 8:09 a.m. | UPDATED: August 5, 2022 at 8:22 a.m.

A test launch of a Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base was called off because of heightened tensions in U.S.-China relations.

The launch of the unarmed weapon was originally planned for late Wednesday or early Thursday from the Santa Barbara County base, and then bumped to 24 hours later — 9:01 p.m. Thursday to 6:37 a.m. Friday. No reason for the rescheduling was announced.

Then, on Thursday, White House officials announced the test would be postponed again, to a date yet to be announced.

“We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwan’s interest, the region’s interest to allow tensions to escalate further,” National Security Council official John Kirby said.

Relations with China have been exceptionally strained recently because of U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan.

Beijing called Pelosi’s visit “vicious and provocative” and stepped up military drills and warplane incursions around Taiwan.

Vandenberg has yet to launch a Minuteman this year. A test scheduled for early March was scrapped because of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

Most years, the base conducts three to four tests of Minuteman III missiles, sending them toward targets in the Pacific Ocean.

Missile test from California scrapped because of tensions with China

“We do not believe it is in our interest, Taiwan’s interest, the region’s interest to allow tensions to escalate further.”

www.sbsun.com