Air Force Global Strike Command Test Launches Minuteman III

U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command airmen from Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) over the weekend from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, the Air Force announced Sunday. The unarmed Minuteman III contained a test re-entry vehicle that traveled about 4,200 miles to the Marshall Islands, the Air Force said. The flight test, the service said, was intended to verify the reliability of the weapon system and help the ICBM community evaluate force development. Col. Craig Ramsey, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a statement, “perhaps more importantly, this visible message of national security serves to assure our partners and dissuade potential aggressors.”