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2w ago

U.S. Test-Fires Unarmed Minuteman III From Vandenberg in Routine Readiness Launch

Officials called it a pre-scheduled evaluation unrelated to any return to explosive nuclear testing.

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An unarmed United States Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile sits inside the silo of U-01 at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming on July 9, 2025.
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Overview

  • The operational test, designated GT 254, sent an instrumented reentry vehicle about 4,200 miles to the Reagan Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
  • Launch commands were issued via the Airborne Launch Control System from a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft to validate backup command-and-control.
  • Air Force Global Strike Command said the unarmed flight collected telemetry to assess reliability, readiness and accuracy, with data gathered by range sensors.
  • Pre-launch notifications were provided under diplomatic obligations, including to Russia and pursuant to the Hague Code of Conduct, according to base officials.
  • The routine test drew extra attention after President Trump urged resuming nuclear testing, as CTBTO and UN officials voiced concern and U.S. officials stressed the focus on delivery-system checks during the Minuteman-to-Sentinel transition.