The United States on Tuesday tested its nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile Minuteman III off the California coast amid the ongoing strikes in the Middle East.
Referred to as "doomsday missile," Minuteman III is capable of carrying nuclear warheads up to 20 times more powerful than the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
The test launch was conducted from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara at 11 pm.
According to US Space Force, the unarmed rocket - GT 254 - hit its intended target near the Marshall Islands in the west-central Pacific Ocean.
According to the press release, the missile was fired to “verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy,” according to the Air Force Global Strike Command.
Inside the Doomsday Minuteman III missile
“It allowed us to assess the performance of individual components of the missile system,” Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron said in a statement.
“By continually assessing varying mission profiles, we are able to enhance the performance of the entire [Intercontinental Ballistic Missile] fleet, ensuring the maximum level of readiness for the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad,” it added.
What is Minuteman III missile?The Minuteman III missile is one part of America’s nuclear triad, which include the ability to launch world-destroying weapons from the land, sea and air. The missiles are stored in silos scattered across the American west — and designed to deter nuclear armageddon, but ensuring that the US will be able to strike back if it is ever hit with an atomic attack.
A Minuteman III missile was also launched in November after President Trump called for restarting the nuclear weapons tests.
The missile can travel 6,000 miles at speeds of more than 15,000 mph and strike anywhere in the world.
The test comes amid the ongoing escalation in the Middle East after the joint forces of US and Israel launched an airstrike on Iran, killing the nation’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
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