An unarmed Minuteman III launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base late Tuesday night.
Base officials say the 11:01 p.m. launch was not a result of current world events but “part of routine and periodic activities intended to demonstrate that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter 21st century threats and reassure our allies.”
Tests like these have been conducted more than 300 times before, base officials say.
“These tests are demonstrative of what Striker Airmen bring to the fight if called by the president,” said Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, Air Force Global Strike Command commander in a press release. “An airborne launch validates the survivability of our ICBMs, which serve as the strategic backstop of our nation’s defense and defense of allies and partners.”
The Minuteman’s reentry vehicle traveled to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site within Republic of the Marshall Islands at the Kwajalein Atoll, located approximately 4,200 miles away, the press release stated.
“Reagan Test Site sensors, including high-fidelity metric and signature radars, as well as optical sensors and telemetry, support the research, development, test and evaluation of America's defense and space programs. For these tests, RTS team members collect radar, optical and telemetry data in the terminal phase of flight to evaluate system performance.”
"This Minuteman III test launch exemplified the mission readiness, agility, and professionalism of the personnel at Vandenberg, Air Force Global Strike Command, and the U.S. Navy," said Col. Dorian Hatcher, Space Launch Delta 30 deputy commander in the press release. "Every test of this deterrent system at Vandenberg underscores the nations robust capabilities and highlights the indispensable support our Airmen and Guardians provide to ensure national security."
