The US officially withdrew from the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty on 2 August. It previously mulled plans to develop to develop missiles previously prohibited by the treaty with aim to deploy them in Europe, despite warnings that a new arms race could follow as a result.
Pentagon spokesperson Jonathan Hoffman has announced that the Department of Defence will begin the development of ground-launched missiles previously banned by the INF treaty.
“Now that we have withdrawn, the Department of Defence will fully pursue the development of these ground-launched conventional missiles as a prudent response to Russia’s actions and as part of the Joint Force’s broader portfolio of conventional strike options”, he said.