In the early hours of Tuesday , the US Air Force tryout - fire a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic projectile " to provide self-assurance in the deadliness and effectiveness of the nation ’s atomic deterrent . "
To flex their muscle , the military also released video footage ( below ) and images of the missile as it blazed into the sky of California , leaving a track of Mary Jane and flames .
The projectile blasted off on Tuesday , June 4 , 12:56 am local prison term from Vandenberg Space Force Base , just north of Santa Barbara along the central Californian slide .
stand 18.3 time ( 59.9 feet ) tall , the intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) sport a re - entry vehicle that traveled some 6,759 kilometre ( 4,200 miles ) before down near a distant U. S. Army base in theMarshall Islands , deep in the Central Pacific Ocean .
The projectile was unarmed , but this model of rocket is capable of contain atomic warheads and , as their name suggests , able to make countries on other continents .
Do n’t fear , though . This might vocalize like hawkish honcho setting the tabular array forWW3 , but the US Air Force claims “ this test is not the result of current world events , ” observe that over 300 similar tests have been conduct in the past .
“ As part of that mission , our intercontinental ballistic missile military unit cater 24/7 strategic deterrence and stand ready to answer at a moment ’s bill as the most responsive pegleg of the atomic triad , and our trial launches show and support our forwardness to deliver a safe , secure , effective and credible world combat capableness , ” General Thomas A. Bussiere , commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command , said in astatement .
“ The U.S. nuclear initiative is the cornerstone of security for our allies and partners across the ball . Today ’s test launch is just one example of how our state ’s intercontinental ballistic missile , and the professional Airmen who maintain and operate them , establish the readiness and reliability of the arm system . It showcases our dedication to deterrence as we support on uninterrupted alert , 24/7/365 , ” added Colonel Chris Cruise , 377th Test and Evaluation Group Commander .
Around 400 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile are currently at Air Force projectile field inColorado , Montana , Nebraska , North Dakota , and Wyoming , where they ’ve been on - guard for more than 50 year .
However , this model of the missile will before long be retired and replaced with theLGM-35A Sentinel ICBMfrom 2029 . The Air Force isset to spendmore than $ 125 billion on 650 Sentinel ICBMs that are designed to last until at least 2075 .
Let ’s desire we , as a mintage , make it there !
