After ICBM test, US stresses it was 'not the result of current world events'
After ICBM test, US stresses it was 'not the result of current world events'
Enlarge / This old file photo shows a Minuteman III rocket launched from California.
Lee Corkran/Sygma via Getty Images
Early Tuesday morning, an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, to test the capabilities of the United States nuclear armed forces.
The missile was carrying a test re-entry vehicle, which traveled approximately 6,700 km to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, where there is sophisticated tracking equipment to verify the accuracy and reliability of the missile. ICBM weapon system. During an armed conflict, such a missile, with a range of almost 10,000 km, could be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
In a press release, the US Air Force went to great lengths to describe this test as long planned and not carried out due to current world events. Rather, the Air Force said it was the result of "months of preparation" among multiple government partners.
"This planned test launch demonstrates how our nation's ICBM fleet exemplifies our readiness and the reliability of our weapon system," said Col. Chris Cruise, 576th Test Squadron Commander. in flight. "It is also an excellent platform to showcase the skills and expertise of our strategic weapons maintenance personnel and missile crews who maintain unwavering vigilance to defend the homeland."
However, Tuesday's test, which took place at 00:49 a.m. local time in California, or 07:49 UTC, was notable for its timing. At least twice this year, the Air Force has delayed or canceled a Minuteman III test due to geopolitical tensions.
On March 2, the Pentagon said it was delaying an ICBM test to avoid miscalculations with Russia, which had just invaded Ukraine. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin placed his nuclear deterrent forces under a "special regime of combat duty". A month later, as tensions continued to escalate, the Air Force confirmed that the planned Minuteman III test had been cancelled.
Tuesday's test was also delayed due to geopolitical events, Reuters reported. It was moved so as not to send the wrong message after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, and China responded with a show of force earlier this month. of August.
Over the past half-century, the U.S. military has conducted more than 300 ICBM tests to ensure the readiness of its missile reserve, of which more than 400 are deployed in the United States in case they are called into a nuclear conflict. These missiles are intended to serve as a deterrent, in that no matter who acts first in a nuclear war, the United States would be able to strike back with devastating force.
Enlarge / This old file photo shows a Minuteman III rocket launched from California.
Lee Corkran/Sygma via Getty Images
Early Tuesday morning, an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, to test the capabilities of the United States nuclear armed forces.
The missile was carrying a test re-entry vehicle, which traveled approximately 6,700 km to Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, where there is sophisticated tracking equipment to verify the accuracy and reliability of the missile. ICBM weapon system. During an armed conflict, such a missile, with a range of almost 10,000 km, could be equipped with a nuclear warhead.
In a press release, the US Air Force went to great lengths to describe this test as long planned and not carried out due to current world events. Rather, the Air Force said it was the result of "months of preparation" among multiple government partners.
"This planned test launch demonstrates how our nation's ICBM fleet exemplifies our readiness and the reliability of our weapon system," said Col. Chris Cruise, 576th Test Squadron Commander. in flight. "It is also an excellent platform to showcase the skills and expertise of our strategic weapons maintenance personnel and missile crews who maintain unwavering vigilance to defend the homeland."
However, Tuesday's test, which took place at 00:49 a.m. local time in California, or 07:49 UTC, was notable for its timing. At least twice this year, the Air Force has delayed or canceled a Minuteman III test due to geopolitical tensions.
On March 2, the Pentagon said it was delaying an ICBM test to avoid miscalculations with Russia, which had just invaded Ukraine. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin placed his nuclear deterrent forces under a "special regime of combat duty". A month later, as tensions continued to escalate, the Air Force confirmed that the planned Minuteman III test had been cancelled.
Tuesday's test was also delayed due to geopolitical events, Reuters reported. It was moved so as not to send the wrong message after US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi visited Taiwan, and China responded with a show of force earlier this month. of August.
Over the past half-century, the U.S. military has conducted more than 300 ICBM tests to ensure the readiness of its missile reserve, of which more than 400 are deployed in the United States in case they are called into a nuclear conflict. These missiles are intended to serve as a deterrent, in that no matter who acts first in a nuclear war, the United States would be able to strike back with devastating force.
Enlarge / This old file photo shows a Minuteman III rocket launched from California.
Lee Corkran/Sygma via Getty Images
