At the same time as the presidential elections: US launches Minuteman III ballistic missile in the Pacific

The US Air Force's Global Strike Command has announced that the United States has launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

Here's What We Know

The launch took place on 5 November 2024 at 23:01 Pacific time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The missile was unarmed, and the test was conducted to demonstrate the readiness of the US nuclear forces.

The military said that the launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is part of periodic activities to demonstrate the US ability to deter the threats of our century.

In more than 300 test launches of this type, the command emphasised that the current launch was not a reaction to current world events.

The Minuteman III rocket flew more than 6,750 kilometres to the Ronald Reagan Test Site, located on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

The Minuteman III is scheduled to be replaced by the new LG-35A Sentinel in 2029. In 2020, the US Air Force signed a $13.3 billion contract with Northrop Grumman to develop this missile. The subcontractors in the project are Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Bechtel, Honeywell, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Parsons, Textron, and others.

Source: AFGSC