DID Press: US successfully tested Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, capable of carrying a nuclear warhead, from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The test aimed to evaluate the reliability, accuracy, and operational readiness of the missile system. After traveling approximately 6,760 kilometers, the missile landed at the Kwajalein Atoll test range in the Marshall Islands.
US Air Force said the Minuteman III missile test is part of a regular, pre-scheduled program to ensure the effectiveness of the country’s strategic deterrence systems. The launch coincided with rising tensions between Washington and Moscow over nuclear weapons. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin had instructed his defense agencies to review similar options.
The Minuteman III missile, which has been in service with the US military since the 1970s, is one of the three pillars of the country’s nuclear deterrent and has the capability to carry multiple nuclear warheads.