MOSCOW (Sputnik) – The United States conducted an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the space force base has said.
Minuteman III is US nuclear-capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile deployed in the 1970s. According to public data, the United States has about 400 Minuteman III ICBMs with a single warhead each. In 2015, the ICBM arsenal underwent modernization that prolonged Minuteman III’s service to 2030.
«An operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Tuesday, June 4, at 12:56 a.m. PT. The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the safety, security, effectiveness, and readiness of the weapon system, according to Air Force Global Strike Command,» the space force base said in a statement.
