An unarmed U.S. Air Force Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is set to launch overnight on Tuesday as part of an operational test at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. (Photo: Airman 1st Class Yvonne Morales/U.S. Air Force/UPI)
Sept. 5 (UPI) — The United States military has scheduled the launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from California overnight to showcase the readiness of its nuclear forces, according to officials.
The launch, conducted by the Air Force Global Strike Command, will take place between 11:47 p.m. PT on Tuesday and 5:47 a.m. PT on Wednesday at the Vandenberg Space Force Base located in North Vandenberg, California.
This routine test, planned years in advance, is aimed at validating and verifying the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapon system, as stated by Vandenberg Space Force Base’s August statement.
During a press conference on Tuesday, Pentagon press secretary Brig. Gen. Pat Ryder announced that the United States has fulfilled its prelaunch notification obligation to the Hague Code of Conduct and has informed the Russian government in accordance with bilateral agreements.
Gen. Ryder stated, “The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and ineffectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.”
The Vandenberg Space Force Base houses the 576th Flight Test Squadron of the Air Force Global Strike Command, which is the sole dedicated ICMB test squadron in the United States.
This launch takes place at a time of heightened tensions with Russia due to its actions in Ukraine, as well as North Korea’s continuous missile launches and recent failed attempt to put a satellite into orbit.
In a separate development, North Korea’s state-run Korean Central News Agency reported that Pyongyang has conducted a simulated tactical nuclear strike using mock warheads as a warning to the United States regarding its nuclear capabilities.
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