On September 7, the U.S. will test-fire a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile to demonstrate the readiness of its nuclear forces
On the morning of September 7, the U.S. Air Force will test-fire an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile.
Here's What We Know
Gen. Pat Ryder, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Defense, made the announcement. Air Force Global Strike Command will launch the Minuteman III ballistic missile in the early morning hours of Sept. 7 from Vandberg Space Force Base in California.
This will be the second Minuteman III test launch in less than a month. Recall that the U.S. already tested the rocket on August 16. The upcoming launch was also originally supposed to take place in the summer, but it had to be postponed to avoid escalating tensions with the People's Republic of China.
Pat Ryder emphasized that the new Minuteman III launch would be identical to the previous ones. It is aimed at testing the effectiveness of the missile and demonstrating the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces. The Pentagon added that the United States notified Russia about the test in accordance with treaty obligations.
Source: Defense News
Image: Noozhawk