VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California early Tuesday in a routine test of the weapon system, the U.S. Air Force said.
The missile blasted off from coastal Vandenberg Space Force Base at 12:49 a.m. and its reentry vehicle traveled about 4,200 miles (6,759 kilometers) over the Pacific to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
Test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the system, a Vandenberg statement said.
“Our test launches are scheduled well in advance and are not reactionary to world events,” Maj. Armand Wong, commander of the test task force, said in a statement from Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.