The “scheduled” Minuteman III launch comes amid tensions with China and North Korea
The U.S. Air Force said on Friday that Thursday night’s launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was a test of nuclear deterrence readiness and a message to the United States. world.
The ground-based rocket was fired at 11 p.m. Pacific time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, during a “schedule” work “to demonstrate that the United States’ nuclear deterrence is safe, secure, reliable, and effective,” by the army.
The unarmed missile, carrying a re-test vehicle, landed in the vicinity of Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, about 6,800 km away.
“A test launch represents the heart of our deterrence mission on the world stage, assuring our nation and allies that our weapons are capable and our pilots have ready and willing to defend global peace immediately,” General Thomas Bussiere, head of USAF Global Strike Command, said in a statement.
Colonel Christopher Cruise of the 377th Test and Evaluation Team called the test “a clear message of assurance to allies,” and a demonstration of “redundancy and reliability” US strategic deterrence.
Multiple US media outlets pointed out that the launch came just days after North Korea demonstrated Hwasong-17 ICBM launchers and the US Air Force shot down a Chinese plane. “spy shadow” flew over North America. Beijing has objected to Washington’s response, insisting that an aerostat is a weather device that is deflected by atmospheric winds.
Minuteman III entered service in the 1970s and constituted the ground headquarters of the United States “nuclear triad.” The Pentagon has been calling for funding to upgrade the arsenal for years, but Congress balked at the price tag, estimated to run into the trillions of dollars.
A missile is randomly selected for test firing every few months, in what the US military calls “Glorious trip.” In some cases, however, tests have been rescheduled to reduce stress – such as in August 2022after China reacted to “provocative” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi visits Taiwan.
At other times, the United States conducts missile tests to send a message. Last November, the Air Force used a cargo plane to cruise missile deployment north of Norway, intended to signal neighboring Russia.
