Unarmed Minuteman III ICBM successfully test launched from Vandenberg SFB Wednesday
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (KEYT) – An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully test launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base early Wednesday morning.
The test launch, designated GT 254, was used to evaluate the readiness and accuracy of the intercontinental ballistic missile national defense system and conducted by the Air Force's Global Strike Command detailed a press release from Vandenberg Space Force Base Wednesday.
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.
"GT 254 is not just a launch – it's a comprehensive assessment to verify and validate the ICBM system's ability to perform its critical mission," explained Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron. "The data collected during the test is invaluable in ensuring the continued reliability and accuracy of the ICBM weapon system."
The test included the use of the Airborne Launch Control System, a backup command and control system for the intercontinental ballistic missile force, aboard a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft by a team of Airmen with the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron shared Vandenberg.
"This test validated the reliability, adaptability, and modularity of the weapon system," said Col. Dustin Harmon of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group commander. "Through this comprehensive assessment, conducted by a dedicated team of AFGSC (Air Force Global Strike Command) Airmen, we ensure the highest standards of integrity and reliability for the Nation's ICBM system."
The unarmed missile's reentry vehicle 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.
The remote test site uses advanced sensors to collect data during the terminal phase of the test flight and that data is then used to evaluate the system's performance as well as support research for the country's defense and space programs added Vandenberg Space Force Base.
In March, 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.
"As we modernize to the Sentinel weapon system, we must continue to maintain the readiness of the existing Minuteman III fleet. GT 254 helps fulfill that commitment, ensuring its continued accuracy and reliability," detailed Gen. S.L. Davis, commander of the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command.
The intercontinental ballistic missile test launch details were transmitted to the government of the Russian Federation in accordance with existing bilateral diplomatic obligations and a pre-launch notification has also been issued pursuant to the Hague Code of Conduct for such launches confirmed Air Force Global Strike Command.
A spokesperson on behalf of Air Force Global Strike Command confirmed that Wednesday's launch was planned years in advance and typically are conducted three to four times a year from Vandenberg Space Force Base's Western Test Range.
Thursday's test launch comes as the People's Republic of China publicly shared in September of this year that it had successfully fired an intercontinental ballistic missile with a dummy warhead into the Pacific Ocean for the first time since 1980.
In October, President Trump announced that the United States would resume the testing of nuclear weapons just ahead of a meeting with China's Xi Jinping in Busan, South Korea posting, "Because of other countries testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately."
If that announcement included the resumption of nuclear weapons testing, which the United States voluntarily shuttered in 1992, or was limited to nuclear-capable weapons systems -such as the Minuteman III or the LGM-35A Sentinel- has not been made clear.
"There is indeed an ongoing moratorium [on nuclear weapons testing]," stated Dmitry Peskov on behalf of the Russian Federation following the President's October announcement. "Trump mentioned that other countries were allegedly testing nuclear weapons. Up until now, we have not known that anyone was testing. And if the reference was to the Burevestnik [a Russian-manufactured, nuclear-powered and nuclear-capable cruise missile] test, that is by no means a nuclear test."
According to the Congressional Research Service, it would take approximately 24 to 36 months to test a nuclear weapon after the President issues a direct order.
