Overview
- The Air Force launched GT 254 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in the early hours of Nov. 5 as part of regular ICBM evaluations.
- An instrumented reentry vehicle flew about 4,200 miles to the Ronald Reagan Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll, where sensors collected telemetry.
- Launch commands were issued via the Airborne Launch Control System from a U.S. Navy E-6B aircraft to validate backup command and control.
- Air Force Global Strike Command said the event was planned years in advance, with pre-launch notifications sent to Russia and under the Hague Code of Conduct.
- The test supports sustainment of Minuteman III as the service transitions to the LGM-35A Sentinel, a modernization effort facing schedule pressure that could extend Minuteman III service life.