VANDENBERG AFB, Calif. – A team of Air Force Global Strike Command airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle at 11:49 p.m. Pacific Time Tuesday from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, according to Air Force Global Strike Command officials.

Test launches are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions.

The test demonstrates that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter 21st century threats and reassure our allies.

“Our nation’s ICBM fleet stands ready 24/7,” said Lt. Gen. Anthony Cotton, deputy commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. “Operational tests validate our Minuteman III readiness and reliability. It further demonstrates to our citizens, our allies and our partners that men and women across three missile wings provide credible overwatch with a strategic deterrent that is safe, secure and effective.”

During this test, the ICBM’s reentry vehicle traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent.

The test launch is a culmination of months of preparation that involved multiple government partners and demonstrates that even during the pandemic, Air Force Global Strike Command maintains various levels of redundant capability to assure a national deterrent.

The missile came from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, with men and women supporting the launch from all three Air Force Global Strike Command missile wings as well as the 576th Flight Test Squadron.

The other two operational missile wings are at Minot AFB and F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming.

The ICBM community, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and U.S. Strategic Command, uses data collected from test launches for continuing force development evaluation.

The launch calendars are built three to five years in advance, and planning for each individual launch begins six months to a year prior to launch.