US conducts launch test of Minuteman III ballistic missile

The United States Air Force has successfully executed an electronic launch test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

This simulated missile launch took place on September 17, as part of routine testing procedures aimed at ensuring the reliability and effectiveness of the ICBM system, Caliber.Az reports via Russian media.

According to a statement from the US Air Force, these tests are conducted biannually at various bases, allowing for the deployment of the missile without an actual launch.

This simulation plays a crucial role in assessing the operational readiness and strategic capabilities of the Minuteman III, which remains a key component of the US nuclear deterrent.

The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) first became operational in the early 1970s.

It is a strategic weapon system using a ballistic missile of intercontinental range. Missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control centre through a system of hardened cables.

Launch crews, consisting of two officers, perform around-the-clock alert in the launch centre.

The Minuteman weapon system was conceived in the late 1950s and Minuteman I was deployed in the early 1960s. Minuteman was a revolutionary concept and an extraordinary technical achievement. Both the missile and basing components incorporated significant advances beyond the relatively slow-reacting, liquid-fueled, remotely-controlled ICBMs of the previous generation.