U.S. Air Force demonstrates nuclear deterrence with successful Minuteman III missile test launch

By Defence Industry Europe

The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, in collaboration with the U.S. Navy, successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on 5 November 2024. The missile, equipped with multiple targetable re-entry vehicles, was launched at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California using the Airborne Launch Control System (ALCS).

 

rmen from the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron, stationed at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, operated aboard a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft during the test. The operation was designed to validate the reliability and effectiveness of the ALCS system and ensure the United States’ nuclear deterrent remains secure and credible in the face of 21st-century threats. General Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, remarked, “These tests are demonstrative of what Striker Airmen bring to the fight if called by the president.”

The missile’s re-entry vehicle travelled approximately 4,200 miles, landing at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Advanced sensors, including radar and optical systems, collected critical performance data during the test. Army Lt. Col. Casel Rumfelt, range director at the test site, stated, “RTS is honoured to be the nation’s only long-range land impact site providing our strategic partners a safe environment and truth in testing for the continued development of the ICBM modernisation efforts.”

 

 

Months of meticulous preparation, involving multiple government agencies, culminated in this successful test. Airmen from all three missile wings participated in the effort, reflecting the 24/7 vigilance required to oversee the nation’s ICBM alert forces. Data collected from such launches informs the ongoing development and evaluation of the U.S. nuclear deterrent, which remains a cornerstone of national and allied security.

The Minuteman III has been a vital part of the U.S. defence strategy for decades. As the system approaches the end of its operational life, it is set to be replaced by the next-generation LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM, with initial capability expected in 2029. In the interim, the Air Force is committed to maintaining the Minuteman III’s operational viability to deter potential threats effectively.

 

Source: U.S. Air Force Materiel Commad.

 

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