The U.S. Air Force has conducted a test launch of a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) without a nuclear warhead.
The test took place on Nov. 5 at Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, according to the Air Force Global Strike Command. The unarmed missile flew approximately 4,200 miles before it landed in the designated impact area in the Marshall Islands in the northwestern Pacific Ocean.
Designated as GT-254, the test “evaluated the ongoing reliability, operational readiness, and accuracy of the ICBM system,” the command said in a statement.
“This test is routine and was scheduled years in advance,” it added….