Unarmed missile launched from California Air Force base
Unarmed missile test launched from California Air Force base
Video by Staff Sgt. Latonya Kim and Michael Stonecypher. An Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at 11:49 Pacific Standard Time Feb. 23, 2021, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. ICBM test launches demonstrate the U.S. nuclear enterprise is safe, secure, effective and ready to defend the United States and its allies. ICBMs provide the U.S. and its allies the necessary deterrent capability to maintain freedom to operate and navigate globally in accordance with international laws and norms.
VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully launched from California in a test of the defense system, the U.S. Air Force said Wednesday.
The missile blasted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 11:49 p.m. Tuesday and arced over the Pacific Ocean, delivering a test re-entry vehicle to a range near Kwajalein Atoll after a flight of about 4,200 miles.
The missile was randomly selected for the test from Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, transported to Vandenberg and reassembled.
"The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the safety, security, effectiveness, and readiness of the weapon system," the Air Force Global Strike Command said.