The Minuteman III has been the only surface-to-air missile in the US nuclear arsenal since 2005 (File)
Washington:
The United States said it successfully tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile on Thursday.
The single-warhead missile was launched at 12:27 a.m. (7:27 a.m. GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, traveling 6,700 kilometers (4,200 miles) over the Pacific Ocean before crashing into the sea near the Marshall Islands, the Air Force said in a statement.
This third test of the year was scheduled for Wednesday but was delayed by a day due to bad weather around the islands.
“Like previous test launches, this event demonstrated the Air Force’s commitment to the nation’s nuclear enterprise while ensuring that U.S. nuclear deterrence is safe, secure and effective in deterring our adversaries while reassuring our allies and partners “, declared the Chief of Staff. of the Air Force, General Charles Brown.
“We must continue to invest in this viable deterrent, and the Airmen who support this mission, as part of the most responsive leg of our nuclear triad,” Brown said in a statement.
The Minuteman III, in service for 50 years, has been the only surface-to-air missile in the US nuclear arsenal since 2005. It is installed at bases in Wyoming, North Dakota and Montana.
Trident nuclear missiles are deployed on US submarines and US strategic bombers are also equipped with nuclear devices.
The Air Force said the test had been planned for months and was “not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions.”
(Except for the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is posted from a syndicated feed.)
