US launches Minuteman III missile to show ‘strength of the nation’s nuclear deterrent’: Watch

The Minuteman III missile launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the military said.

​The US Air Force recently launched a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which is capable of delivering a nuclear warhead to anywhere on Earth. The launch took place on Wednesday morning, May 21, as part of a regular test of the country’s doomsday missiles.

US launches Minuteman III missile to show ‘strength of the nation’s nuclear deterrent’ (Unsplash - representational image)

The Minuteman III missile launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the military said, according to the New York Post. The missile was unarmed at the time of the launch. Officials confirmed that the missile traveled 15,000 miles per hour to a test site in the Marshall Islands 4,200 miles away.

What we know about the Minuteman III missile

The Minuteman is a 1970-era program that the Air Force has planned to replace with the Sentinel system. However, delays and cutbacks have been plaguing the program. Wednesday’s launch came with the message that America’s nuclear deterrent is still ready.

“This ICBM test launch underscores the strength of the nation’s nuclear deterrent and the readiness of the ICBM leg of the triad,” Gen. Thomas Bussiere, commander of the U.S. Global Strike Command, said in a statement. The Air Force also said that the test was routine and not a response to the world events taking place at present.

The Air Force’s initial plan was to decommission all of its Cold War-era missiles by 2039. However, the Sentinel has not been fully tested yet. In fact, delays plaguing the program could postpone the transition date to at least 2050, Bloomberg reported. The Air Force has insisted that the Sentinel program is on track, and that “until full capability is achieved, the Air Force is committed to ensuring Minuteman III remains a viable deterrent.”

In a clarification, the Air Force said that themissile test was "not a response to current world events.” It said it was only a routine test as part of the 1970-era Minuteman III program.