Unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile successfully tested late Tuesday evening

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (KEYT) – The U.S. Air Force successfully tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with two reentry vehicles late Tuesday night.

The test launch, designated as GT 255, was scheduled years in advance and is part of a decades-old program to validate the performance of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) weapon system in service in the United State's nuclear arsenal since the late 1970s.

The last ICBM test from Vandenberg Space Force Base was in November of last year.

"GT 255 allowed us to assess the performance of individual components of the missile system," said Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, Commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron. "By continually assessing varying mission profiles, we are able to enhance the performance of the entire ICBM fleet, ensuring the maximum level of readiness for the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad."

Hundreds of Minuteman III missiles make up the nation's ground-based nuclear deterrence infrastructure as part of a trio of launch platforms that, "underwrites every U.S. military operation on the globe—it is the backstop and foundation of our national defense and that of our allies," detailed the U.S. Air Force's Nuclear Weapons Center.

According to Vandenberg Space Force Base, the test on the ICBM's performance Tuesday evening was also a test of the multiple reentry vehicles which are, "used to increase missile effectiveness and overcome enemy defenses."

"It is critical to test all aspects of our ICBM force, including our ability to deliver multiple, independently targeted payloads with absolute precision," detailed Gen. S.L. Davis, Commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. "This test validates the intricate synchronization of the weapon system, from the initial launch sequence to the flawless deployment of each reentry vehicle."

The reentry vehicles used during the test were equipped with a telemetry package traveled about 4,200 miles to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands noted Vandenberg Space Force Base.

That data was collected by weapons experts with the 377th Test and Evaluation Group which then provides the results of the test launch to multiple stakeholders including the Department of Energy and U.S. Strategic Command explained Vandenberg Space Force Base.

"Test launches are the most visible and vital way we verify our capabilities and validate the performance of our systems," explained Col. Dustin Harmon, Commander of the 377 Test and Evaluation Group. "The men and women of our missile community represent some of the most highly trained professionals in our nation's defense. These tests confirm their unmatched ability to support this critical mission and provide crucial data that ensures our systems remain ready and reliable."

Last year, Your News Channel reported that Vandenberg Space Force Base was beginning the process to replace the aging Minuteman III platform with the new Northrup Grumman-developed LGM-35A Sentinel.

"The data we gather ensures our long-range strike capabilities are not just a theoretical concept, but a proven, reliable, and lethal force, ready to defend the nation at a moment's notice," shared Gen. Davis.
"As the Minuteman III remains on alert, the Air Force is committed to its replacement, the LGM-35A Sentinel, which represents the modernization of the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad."