INTRODUCTION
Two U.S. strategic bombers conducted drills over South Korea on Thursday, the U.S. Air Force said, raising tensions with North Korea just days before President Donald Trump visits the region seeking to shut down Pyongyang’s nuclear program.
News of the drills was first reported by North Korean state news agency KCNA on Friday, which said the exercises involving South Korean and Japanese fighter jets were a “surprise nuclear strike drill”.
Trump arrives in Asia on Sunday, beginning his first trip to the region as president in Japan before heading to South Korea and China, then Vietnam and the Philippines.
A series of missile tests by North Korea and its sixth and largest nuclear test have fueled the most critical international challenge of Trump’s presidency.
As the situation escalates , in this video, Defense Updates analyzes WHY NORTH KOREA MUST FEAR THE TRIDENT II MISSILE OF U.S?
BACKGROUND
The UGM-133A Trident II, or Trident D5 is a submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM), built by Lockheed Martin Space Systems in Sunnyvale, California, and deployed with the American and British navies.
It was first deployed in March 1990 and remains in service. The Trident II Strategic Weapons System is an improved SLBM with greater accuracy, payload, and range than the earlier Trident I. It is a key element of the U.S. strategic nuclear triad.
Nuclear tried is the ability to launch strategic nuclear weapons from land, sea and air. The missile was developed to strengthen U.S. strategic deterrence.
PROFILE & DESIGN
Trident II was designed to be more advanced than Trident I which was retired in 2005 . It has greater range and payload capacity. It is accurate enough to be used as a first strike weapon.
The Trident II is a three-stage rocket, each stage containing a solid-fuel rocket motor.
The first stage is made by Thiokol and Hercules Inc. This first stage incorporates a solid propellant motor, parts to ensure first-stage ignition, and a thrust vector control (TVC) system.
The first- and second-stage motors are connected by an interstage casing, which contains electronic equipment and ordnance for separation during flight. The second stage also contains a motor made by Thiokol and Hercules Inc., parts to ensure the second-stage ignition, and a TVC system.
The second- and third-stage sections are connected by an integrated equipment/adapter section (ES).
The third-stage contains critical guidance and flight control avionics, such as the Mk 6 navigation system. This stage also contains the TVC system, ordnance for ejecting from the second-stage motor, and the MIRV platform. The nose fairing shields the payload and third-stage motor.
The missile is 13.579 m in length , 2.11 m in diameter and weigh in at 130,000 lb or 59,000 kg.
It is reinforced by carbon fiber and kevlar to maximize strength-to-weight ratio.
LAUNCH PLATFORM
Trident II missiles are carried by 14 US Ohio class submarines.
The 14 Ballistic Missile Submarines of Ohio class together carry approximately 50% of the total US active inventory of strategic thermonuclear warheads. The Ohio-class submarines is the largest submarines ever built for the U S Navy having a displacement of 16764 tonnes.
The Soviet-designed Typhoon-class submarines have more than twice the total displacement, and Russia’s Borei-class submarines have roughly 25% greater displacement than Ohio, but the Ohio-class boats carry more missiles than either: 24 Trident missiles apiece, versus 16 by the Borei class , 20 by the Borei II and 20 by the Typhoon class.
Ohio class is nuclear powered and hence it has unlimited range , constrained by only food supply. Since submarine-based nuclear weapons tend to be the least vulnerable, and therefore these are best suited for second-strike missions.
This is what makes Trident II a deadly weapon, as it is virtually impossible to neutralize the missiles with a preemptive strike.
The Trident is so efficient that even next generation of US & UK submarines will field them.
The Ohios are forecast to move out of service between 2027 and 2040.
SPEED/RANGE /READINESS/ACCURACY
Trident II missile has a speed of approximately Mach 24 or 8,060 m/s in terminal phase. The missile has a range of more than 7,500 mi or 12,000 km. This range enables the missile to be launched from far off from the target.
The missile has an accuracy of 90 m making it only of the most accurate long range strategic missile in the world.
MIRV & WARHEAD
The Trident I| is Multiple Independently Reentry vehicle (MIRV) capable and hence can carry multiple warheads with each warhead being assigned to a different target. It can be configured with 2 types of MIRV.
The Mark 5 MIRV can carry up to 14 W88 (475 kt) warheads, while the Mark 4 MIRV having the ability to carry 14 W76 (100 kt) warheads.
Audio by Scott Leffler -- scottleffler.com
