Watch the launch of an American nuclear missile
Watch the launch of an American nuclear missile
Video of Minuteman III missile launch
The Pentagon conducted another test of a missile designed to deliver nuclear weapons this week – it was the second such test in less than a month, since the Aug. 16 launch of another unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM).
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Defense News reported that Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder earlier announced that Air Force Global Strike Command would launch the Minuteman III missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, calling it a routine test that was scheduled well in advance.
The ICBM was equipped with three test reentry vehicles (dummy nuclear warheads), and the weapon traveled 4,200 miles at more than 15,000 mph to a test range at the Kwajalein Atoll near the Marshall Islands.
The Pentagon has delayed schedule missile tests twice recently to avoid potential misunderstandings with Russia and China as global tensions increase.
The U.S. says that it had notified Russia. “The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the security and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent,” said the American official.