Overview
- New research suggests that an attack on America's missile silos could result in millions of deaths from acute radiation poisoning in less than a week.
- The study focuses on the 450 missile silos located in five U.S. states—North Dakota, Montana, Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska. Out of these locations, 400 silos house nuclear-armed intercontinental missiles.
- Researchers estimate that, in the first four days after an attack on the silos, between 340,000 and 4.6 million people could die, with an average death toll of 1.4 million.
- The U.S. Air Force's decision to replace its aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) with the modern Sentinel missile in 2029 has raised concerns about the potential consequences.
- The Department of Defense stressed the importance of a 'safe, secure, and effective nuclear deterrent,' stating that the Sentinel system does not increase the risk to the U.S. and that a nuclear war cannot be won.