US conducts routine test launch of Minuteman III ICBM to demonstrate nuclear readiness

In a powerful display of strategic capability, the United States Air Force conducted a test launch of its unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The missile, capable of delivering nuclear payloads to global targets, was launched as part of routine testing operations.

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The missile traveled roughly 6,760 kilometers at speeds exceeding 24,140 kilometers per hour before successfully landing at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in the Marshall Islands, located northeast of Australia.

The US Air Force released footage of the launch, while the US Global Strike Command emphasized the test as a reaffirmation of the country’s nuclear defense readiness and the reliability of its land-based missile systems. This operation forms a crucial component of the United States' nuclear triad, which is designed to deter potential threats by maintaining a credible, multi-platform nuclear force.

The nuclear triad includes land-launched ICBMs like the Minuteman III, ballistic missile submarines operating in oceans to prevent maritime threats, and strategic bombers capable of delivering both nuclear and conventional weapons from the air.

Currently, the US maintains 400 Minuteman III missiles in a ready-to-launch state. The Department of Defense clarified that this test was not linked to any specific geopolitical tension but was part of long-standing procedures to ensure the reliability of its Cold War-era missile program.