US Air Force Conducts Nighttime Minuteman III Missile Test on Election Day

The US Air Force Global Strike Command conducted a nighttime test of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, launching it from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California to a test site in the Marshall Islands. The missile, selected randomly from Minot Air Force Base, was launched using an airborne control system, demonstrating the survivability and reliability of the US nuclear deterrent. This routine test, not influenced by current global events, underscores the strategic role of ICBMs, which are set to be replaced by the LGM-35A Sentinel in the 2030s amid rising costs.