The Air Force is set to launch an unarmed missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base overnight, in a demonstration of the readiness of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
Clear skies will make the spectacle easy to behold from Southern California. Residents in Oregon and Nevada as well as western parts of Utah, Arizona, and Mexico should also be able to spot the missile streaking across the sky.
The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is set to launch from the Santa Barbara County base sometime between 11:01 p.m. Tuesday and 5:01 a.m. Wednesday. The goal is to “demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent,” according to the Air Force Global Strike Command.
The Minuteman is a powerful weapon, capable of carrying three nuclear warheads that can reach independent targets more than 6,000 miles away, according to the Air Force. Its range from the Vandenberg base could span as far north as the North Pole, as far south as the closest point of Antarctica, as far west as the Philippines and as far east as Spain.
At its peak speed, the Minuteman can travel 15,000 mph — about 25 times as fast as a typical passenger jet and almost 70 times faster than the fastest Ferrari. It’s 59.9 feet long and weighs about 80,000 pounds.
America’s ballistic missiles can reach targets around the globe about 30 minutes after launch. During the first three minutes, three solid fuel rocket motors power the missile’s flight. Then, the missile follows a curve-shaped trajectory, releasing the warhead mid-course and sending it toward the target.
Tuesday night’s routine test of the missile was scheduled years in advance and will be used to verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system, according to the Air Force. Per its international agreements, the United States has notified Russia and the more than 140 nations that are members of the Hague Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation of the planned launch.
The last routine test took place on Nov. 5 when a Minuteman III was launched from the Vandenberg base and traveled 4,200 miles to the Marshall Islands. It landed at the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, where researchers used flight data to evaluate system performance.
“These tests are demonstrative of what Striker Airmen bring to the fight if called by the president,” said Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, in a statement on the November launch. “An airborne launch validates the survivability of our ICBMs [intercontinental ballistic missiles], which serve as the strategic backstop of our nation’s defense and defense of allies and partners.”
The Air Force has 400 Minuteman III missiles in service at bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. These missiles have been a mainstay of America’s nuclear arms force since the 1970s, and most of the system’s fundamental infrastructure still uses the original equipment.
Starting in 2029, the Air Force intends to begin gradually replacing the Minuteman III with a modernized arsenal of LG-35A Sentinel missiles. Until full capability of the Sentinel missiles is achieved in the mid-2030s, the Air Force says it is committed to ensuring Minuteman III remains a viable deterrent.
The United States has the second-largest number of nuclear weapons in the world with about 5,040 warheads, according to data collected by the Federation of American Scientists. Russia has the largest stockpile with about 5,580 warheads.
The two superpowers are followed by China with about 500 warheads, France with 290 and the United Kingdom with 225.
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