The 91st Missile Wing of Minot AFB on Wednesday successfully test launched a Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg AFB, 45 years to the day after the wing put the first Minuteman 3s on alert, according to an Air Force press release. The Minot team worked with members of the 576th Flight Test Squadron and 30th Space Wing at Vandenberg to launch the ICBM at 6:03 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. “Launching an ICBM under operational conditions is a whole team effort, and that’s what we bring out here to replicate the scenarios in the field as close as possible,” said Lt. Col. Eric Thompson, 91st MW Task Force commander. “The operations and maintenance crews who come out here with us know the job they’re doing back home is important, and actually coming out here to launch an unarmed missile really solidifies the job we do every day with nuclear deterrence.”
Air Force Global Strike Command conducts the test launches to verify the accuracy and reliability of the Minuteman 3, and gathered data essential to extend the life of the ICBM. Gen. Robin Rand, Global Strike Command’s new commander, also observed the test. “I’m truly impressed by the knowledge, the skills and the teamwork that our Airmen demonstrated during this test launch,” he said. “When I think of the value of these types of tests have played over the years, I think of the messages we send to our allies who seek protection from aggression and to adversaries who threaten peace. I also think about the American people we’ve sworn an oath to protect; people like my grandchildren who count on us to get this right. We can’t let them down.”