US Air Force Tests Minuteman III ICBM

The US Air Force Global Strike Command conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) May 20 at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, the Vandenberg Base reported.

"This routine launch, designated GT 256, was scheduled years ago, and is not in response to world events. It acts as a comprehensive operational test, designed to evaluate both the weapon system and the personnel who maintain it in a highly-controlled testing environment," the base’s press service noted.

According to General Stephen Davis, head of the US Air Force’s Global Strike Command, "This launch verifies the health and readiness of our ICBM force, confirming the capability of every component of the ICBM enterprise, from our operators to the weapon system itself, to execute the mission."

The base’s press service has not yet responded to a TASS question about whether Russia had been informed of the launch.

The US Department of War plans to deploy new land-based Sentinel ICBMs to replace the Minuteman III. This phase is expected to be a central element of the modernization of the US nuclear forces. According to the Pentagon, the missile will not be deployed until 2031. Meanwhile, many American non-governmental experts believe that, at the current stage, the US can successfully maintain strategic nuclear deterrence even without silo-based ICBMs, using nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and heavy bombers. These components constitute the nuclear triad.