US tests nuclear-capable doomsday missile as Iran war rages
India Today
On Tuesday night, the Air Force Global Strike Command launched the unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, equipped with two test re-entry vehicles, the US Space Force said in a statement.
As the war in the Middle East entered its sixth day, the US carried out a test launch of its nuclear-capable Minuteman III “doomsday” intercontinental ballistic missile, which can carry warheads up to 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
On Tuesday night, the Air Force Global Strike Command launched the unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, equipped with two test re-entry vehicles, the US Space Force said in a statement.
The missile, identified by the US Space Force as test vehicle GT-255, was launched as part of a long-standing routine evaluation programme and was not officially linked to the ongoing conflict, the statement added.
It successfully travelled thousands of miles before striking its designated impact area near the Marshall Islands in the west-central Pacific Ocean.
“GT 255 allowed us to assess the performance of individual components of the missile system,” said Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander. “By continually assessing varying mission profiles, we are able to enhance the performance of the entire ICBM fleet, ensuring the maximum level of readiness for the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad.”
The Minuteman III, a cornerstone of the US’s strategic arsenal, has a range of roughly 6,000 miles and can travel at speeds exceeding 15,000 miles per hour, enabling it to reach targets across continents within minutes.
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