The US military launched another Minuteman III ICBM from Vanderberg Air Force Base in California. This is the third test of the weapon so far this year. The Air Force Global Strike Command ensures that these projectiles play an important defensive role.
The statement published by the entity on its Twitter account states that “the ICBM fleet underpins our strategic force & plays a critical role in the protection of our allies.” This fleet is one of the key pieces of American nuclear triad.
The tweet has been accompanied by a snapshot in which you can see the brilliant mark left by the missile in the sky after being fired from the center. During the test, the US military used the projectile devoid of its load, which flew at a distance of more than 6,000 kilometers.
Today, #Strikers showcased the readiness of the #MinutemanIII missile during an operational test launch. As a leg of the #nucleartriad, the #ICBM fleet underpins our strategic force & plays a critical role in the protection of our allies. #GT233 pic.twitter.com/RyfcoWLSQr
— AFGSC (@AFGlobalStrike) September 2, 2020
“This test launch represents another successful demonstration of our nation’s capability and underscores the fact that our nuclear enterprise is safe, secure, reliable, effective and ready to defend the United States and our allies,” said Col. Kris Barcomb.
Previous tests of the Minuteman III were conducted in February and August 2020. Currently, the United States could have about 400 missiles of this model, each of which is capable of carrying up to three nuclear warheads at a range of up to 12,000 kilometers.