US test launches unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California early Wednesday in a test of the weapon system that is part of the U.S. nuclear force.
The missile blasted off from a silo at 12:03 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and delivered a single re-entry vehicle to a target approximately 4,200 miles (6,759 kilometres) away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said.
The launch command was issued via an air launch control system aboard a Navy E-6 Mercury jet.
“Tonight’s launch was an important demonstration of our nation’s nuclear deterrent capability,” Col. John Moss, commander of Vandenberg’s 30th Space Wing, said in a statement. “Test launches like this one are vital to validating the effectiveness and readiness of our operational nuclear systems, so it is critical that they are successful.”