USAF Tests ‘Minuteman III’ Ballistic Missile For Second Time

The US Air Force test launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from California today.

The Minuteman III missile launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base travelled more than 4,000 miles to a target near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the strike command said in a statement.

It was the second test launch from the coastal airbase in two weeks. A similar test was carried out on April 26.  

This mission was part of a programme to test the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the Minuteman III weapons system, the statement said. The Minuteman III, capable of being fitted with a nuclear warhead, is tested like this about four times a year, said Linda Frost, also a spokeswoman for the strike command.

The Minuteman is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control center through a system of hardened cables.