U.S. Conducts Successful Minuteman III ICBM Test Launch

The United States Air Force successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The reentry vehicle traveled approximately 4,200 miles before splashing down in the Pacific Ocean near Kwajalein Atoll, close to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site in the Marshall Islands.

This marked the first such test since President Donald Trump announced the resumption of nuclear testing, which had been suspended for over three decades.

The Minuteman III serves as the backbone of the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, alongside submarine-launched ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.

The Pentagon described the launch as a routine demonstration of national nuclear deterrence capabilities, affirming the reliability and readiness of the system for a potential retaliatory strike.

Neither Russia nor China has issued an official response to the test.