Foreword:

The influence of the United States is gradually declining. Trump pledged to end the Ukraine-Russia conflict upon taking office, but after more than 100 days in office, he still cannot resolve the issue. Trump has pressured Zelenskyy multiple times, but with no significant effect. Nowadays, even the U.S. has lost its corresponding influence and deterrent power over a country like Ukraine. The U.S. has also lost its influence in the Middle East; Israel completely ignores American advice and launches a large-scale attack in Gaza.

The U.S. has even capitulated to the Houthi armed forces, choosing to fully withdraw from the Red Sea and abandon the strike on this armed group. Under the background of a sharp decline in influence and号召力, the U.S. begins to display its strategic deterrent capability through some trump cards. The past U.S. was truly terrifying; now it's just bluffing. The U.S. has become hysterical, attempting to threaten the world with destructive weapons, which highlights its anxiety and weakness. Under the circumstances where America's presence is increasingly diminishing, a intercontinental nuclear missile was launched at midnight by the U.S.

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The strategic logic behind the launch of "Minuteman-3", the upgrade of nuclear deterrence and the collapse of the hegemonic foundation. According to a May 22 report on the website of the U.S. "Defense News" weekly, at midnight Pacific Time on the 21st, pilots from the Air Force Global Strike Command launched one Minuteman-3 missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. It is reported that this intercontinental nuclear missile flew at a speed of about 24,000 kilometers per hour for approximately 6,700 kilometers and hit the target on the Kwajalein Atoll test range in the Marshall Islands.

About 400 Minuteman-3 missiles make up the land-based part of the U.S. "triad" nuclear force. The U.S. military claimed that this launch was very successful, achieving the intended goals overall, fully testing the performance and attack stability of the missile. "Quick response" and "nuclear victory" are core values; after the decline of soft power, more reliance is placed on hard power deterrence. The U.S. military launching the Minuteman-3 intercontinental missile is to verify "first-strike" capabilities, ensuring it becomes the preferred means to destroy high-value targets such as enemy hardened missile silos and command centers.

The Minuteman-3 missile is relatively old, but due to the delayed development and severe budget overruns of the replacement project "Sentinel" intercontinental missile, the U.S. can only currently rely on Minuteman-3. The replacement project "Sentinel" missile has been questioned due to severe cost overruns (from $95.8 billion soaring to $131 billion) and delays in progress (service time postponed to after 2030). The initial estimated cost of the "Sentinel" missile was $77.7 billion, but before review, the cost had more than doubled to about $160 billion. The U.S. military strengthened its strike capability by upgrading the guidance system of the "Minuteman-3" (CEP accuracy reaching 93 meters).

The loosening of the hegemonic foundation has heightened U.S. anxiety; nuclear deterrence has become the last resort to maintain the dignity of hegemony. U.S. debt is on the verge of collapse, international credibility has been severely compromised, and soft power is no longer sufficient to support the U.S. hegemonic system. The decades-old hegemonic foundation carefully built by the U.S. is beginning to loosen. In global hotspot issues such as the Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Middle East issue, the Korean Peninsula issue, and the India-Pakistan issue, the U.S. has lost its discourse power and influence. Even on core allies such as the EU, the UK, Japan, Australia, and Canada, the U.S. has lost its应有的 influence. Against the backdrop of increasing anxiety, the U.S. is resorting more to showcasing its influence through nuclear missile displays.

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The combination of intercontinental missile threats and "Dome Project" threats together sends a tough warning to the world, marking the U.S.'s final struggle to maintain hegemony. The U.S. sea-based nuclear force accounts for 70% of the deployed nuclear deterrent force, with the core being the "Trident II D5" submarine-launched ballistic missiles carried by the 14 Ohio-class nuclear submarines. A single submarine can carry 200 MIRV warheads, with a range of 12,000 kilometers and an error margin of only 90 meters, boasting extremely strong penetration capabilities. The combination of the B-21 stealth bomber and the AGM-181 long-range stand-off missile (LRSO) forms the cornerstone of the U.S. air-based nuclear missile. Together with this launched Minuteman-3 intercontinental nuclear missile, the U.S. has formed a triad nuclear strike system, sending the strongest warning to the world.

The U.S. is accelerating the "Dome Project" (i.e., homeland missile defense system), aiming to achieve the absolute safety goal of attacking the entire world while defending against worldwide attacks. The nationwide "Dome" system is expected to cost $2.5 trillion, marking a shift in U.S. defense strategy from "offensive deterrence" to "active defense." This nuclear missile test launch by the U.S. ostensibly demonstrates "absolute safety" technological hegemony but actually reveals its strategic anxiety: under the relative reduction of conventional military advantages, nuclear weapons have become the "ultimate card" to maintain global hegemony. The essence of nuclear deterrence is "balance of fear," not "absolute safety." The U.S. seeks its own absolute safety in order to maintain its hegemonic status through such extreme measures.

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7507398487986684450/

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