As the White House pushes for cuts in the America nuclear arsenal, the Pentagon is developing a weapon to help fill the gap: missiles armed with conventional warheads that could strike anywhere in the world in less than an hour. U.S. military officials say the intercontinental ballistic missiles, known as Prompt Global Strike weapons, are a necessary new form of deterrence against terrorist networks and other adversaries. As envisioned, the conventional missiles would give the White House a fresh military option to consider in a crisis that would not result in a radioactive mushroom cloud. The Prompt Global Strike program, which the Pentagon has been developing for several years, is already raising hackles in Moscow, where Russian officials predict it could trigger a nonnuclear arms race and complicate President Obama's long-term vision of ridding the world of nuclear weapons. U.S. military officials are also struggling to solve a separate major obstacle: the risk that Russia or China could mistake the launch of a conventional Prompt Global Strike missile for a nuclear one. The PGS System can be delivered via: * Ballistic missiles, based on either the ICBM or SLBM * Hypersonic cruise missiles, such as the Boeing X-51 * Air launched missiles * Space based launch platforms The warhead is expected to be a maneuverable vehicle, weighing some 2 tonnes including the payload, and be able to deliver either a unitary penetrator, numerous smart munitions and even UAVs. As of 2010 the Air Force's prototype is a modified Peacekeeper III ICBM. washingtonpost.com
