Copyright pravda
The United States is set to conduct a scheduled test launch of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) without a warhead, according to a report from TASS. The test will take place from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on November 5. “An operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled between 11:01 p.m. to 5:01 a.m. Pacific Time, Nov. 4, from north Vandenberg.” the statement on the launch complex’s website reads. The publication emphasized that the launch schedule was planned “years in advance.” The purpose of the test is to verify the missile’s system effectiveness and overall reliability. Legacy of the Minuteman III Missile System The LGM-30G Minuteman III entered service with the US Air Force in 1970 and remains the only land-based ICBM in the American arsenal. It has a range of approximately 13,000 kilometers. Through multiple modernization programs, Minuteman missiles have received new nuclear warheads, an upgraded propulsion system, and improved guidance technology. Next-Generation US ICBM Challenges In August, Lieutenant General Andrew Gebara, Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration at the US Air Force, said that a shortage of available federal land could complicate construction of new silos for the next-generation LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. “The Minuteman III remains the backbone of America’s nuclear deterrence, but replacing it with the Sentinel system poses significant logistical and infrastructure challenges,” US defense analysts note.
