The US conducted Minuteman III ballistic missile tests launch over the Pacific Ocean

6 November, 2024 Minuteman III ICBM launch, November 5, 2024. Photo: US Air Force Global Strike Command The United States has test-fired a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.

This was reported on the US Air Force Global Strike Command website. The launch took place on November 5, 2024, at 23:01 Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The missile was unarmed.

The test was conducted to demonstrate the readiness of US nuclear forces. In a statement, the military noted that the Minuteman III test launch is part of periodic activities designed to demonstrate the United States' readiness to deter 21st-century threats.

Minuteman III ICBM launch, November 5, 2024. Photo: US Air Force Global Strike Command

The US has tested this type of intercontinental ballistic missile over 300 times.

The command emphasized that this test was not a response to current world events. The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile traveled approximately 4,200 miles (more than 6,750 kilometers) to the Ronald Reagan Missile Defense Test Site, located in the Marshall Islands on Kwajalein Atoll.

Test launch of the Minuteman III ballistic missile. Photo: Boeing

The test launch was the culmination of months of training by the military and contractors.

These test launches confirm the accuracy and reliability of the U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile system.

Concept of LG-35A Sentinel ICBM. Images from open sources

It is planned that in 2029, the Minuteman III missiles will be replaced by the new LG-35A Sentinel.

In 2020, the US Air Force awarded a £13.3 billion contract to Northrop Grumman for its development.

The new intercontinental ballistic missile subcontractors are Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Bechtel, Honeywell, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Parsons, Textron, and others.