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The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command carried out a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on Wednesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The launch was conducted to assess the reliability, readiness, and accuracy of the current ICBM system. It comes as President Donald Trump has urged the military to resume nuclear weapons testing. The Minuteman III is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.
The missile, designated GT 254, traveled about 4,200 miles before landing at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in the Marshall Islands.
“This test validated the reliability, adaptability, and modularity of the weapon system,” Col. Dustin Harmon, commander of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group, said in a statement. “Through this comprehensive assessment, conducted by a dedicated team of AFGSC Airmen, we ensure the highest standards of integrity and reliability for the Nation’s ICBM system.”
The Reagan Test Site recorded data from the missile’s terminal flight phase using advanced sensors and telemetry systems.
The move comes after President Trump last month directed the Department of War to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing, ending a three-decade pause on full-scale tests in the United States. The announcement came just before his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, RSBN previously reported.
The United States last conducted an underground nuclear test in 1992 at the Nevada Test Site, after which testing ceased under a voluntary moratorium.
“Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis,” President Trump wrote in a social media post at the time. “That process will begin immediately.”
He added, “The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country. This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term in office. Because of the tremendous destructive power, I HATED to do it, but had no choice! Russia is second, and China is a distant third, but will be even within 5 years.”
The decision reverses a long-standing U.S. policy of refraining from full-scale nuclear tests while relying on advanced computer modeling and subcritical experiments to ensure the reliability of the country’s arsenal. The move also comes as tensions have grown between the U.S., Russia and China over nuclear modernization programs and arms control agreements.
