The United States launched a nuclear missile on the night of the presidential election in a chilling show of strength.
The U.S. Air Force fired an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on 5 November.
The ICBM’s reentry vehicle travelled approximately 4,200 miles to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site located within Republic of the Marshall Islands at the Kwajalein Atoll.
“These tests are demonstrative of what Striker Airmen bring to the fight if called by the president,” said Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, commander, Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC). “An airborne launch validates the survivability of our ICBMs, which serve as the strategic backstop of our nation’s defense and defense of allies and partners.”
An AFGSC statement said: “This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities intended to demonstrate that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter 21st century threats and reassure our allies. Such tests have occurred over 300 times before, and this test is not the result of current world events.”
The test launch was described as a culmination of months of preparation that involved multiple government partners.
Airmen from America’s three missile wings were selected for the task force to support the test launch. The missile bases within AFGSC have crew members standing alert 24 hours a day, year-round, overseeing the nation’s ICBM alert forces.
The LG-35A Sentinel missile is set to replace the Minuteman III ICBM with an initial capability of 2029.
“Until full capability is achieved in the mid-2030s, the Air Force is committed to ensuring Minuteman III remains a viable deterrent,” said AFGSC.
