VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIF. – A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single telemetered joint test assembly re-entry vehicle on Wednesday at 1 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California, according to Air Force Global Strike Command information.

The test launch was a culmination of months of preparation that involved multiple government partners.

Airmen from all three missile wings – 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana, and 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming, were selected for the task force to support the test launch, while maintainers from the missile wing at F.E. Warren AFB supported maintenance requirements

The Western Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base serves as the primary testing ground for Air Force Global Strike Command’s ICBMs. This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities.

The ICBM’s reentry vehicle traveled about 4,200 miles to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site located within Republic of the Marshall Islands at the Kwajalein Atoll. Reagan Test Site sensors, including high-fidelity metric and signature radars, as well as optical sensors and telemetry, support the research, development, testing and evaluation of America’s defense and space programs. For these tests, RTS team members collect radar, optical and telemetry data in the terminal phase of flight to evaluate system performance.

“Today’s Minuteman III test launch is just one of the ways the Department of the Air Force demonstrates the readiness, precision and professionalism of U.S. nuclear forces,” said Acting Secretary of the Air Force Gary Ashworth. “It also provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrence mission.”

“The nuclear triad is the cornerstone of the national security of our country and allies around the globe,” AFGSC Commander Gen. Thomas Bussiere added.

“This test launch is demonstrative of our nation’s ICBM readiness and reliability,” he added. “Because of the skill sets and expertise of our maintenance personnel and our missile crews, our freedoms and the homeland remain secure.”

Vandenberg’s 377th Test and Evaluation Group, located at Vandenberg AFB, oversaw the test launch. It is the nation’s only dedicated ICBM test organization.

“During this test, we collected and analyzed performance and other key data points to evaluate current missile system competencies,” said Col. Dustin Harmon, 377th TEG commander. “This allows our team to analyze and report accuracy and reliability for the current system while validating projected missile system improvements. The data we collect and analyze is crucial for maintaining Minuteman III while we pave the way for Sentinel.”

The Sentinel weapon system will modernize the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad by replacing the Minuteman III ICBMs at the three ICBM bases.