by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) – Amid intense focus on the U.S. presidential election, the U.S. Space Force will launch an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base tonight.
Some Americans have expressed concern about the test’s timing on election day, but military officials clarified that it is a routine launch planned years in advance. The test aims to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and reinforce confidence in the country’s nuclear deterrence amid rising global tensions.
“These launches are scheduled years in advance on a quarterly basis, and there is often one in early November. The election had nothing to do with its scheduling,” an Air Force Global Strike Command Public Affairs representative told the Lompoc Record, a local newspaper near Vandenberg in Lompoc, California.
The ICBM, capable of exceeding 15,000 mph and reaching global targets within 30 minutes, will travel 4,200 miles from California to Kwajalein Atoll in about 22 minutes. This test occurs amid rising concerns over potential conflicts with Russia and China, both major threats to U.S. security.
The Minuteman III, in service for over 50 years, will be replaced by the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM by 2029. The U.S. Air Force calls the Sentinel a cost-effective solution for a secure land-based nuclear deterrent, expected to remain in use until 2075.
The tests come shortly after North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launch and reports of North Korean troops active in Ukraine for the first time.
Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that the U.S. and Russia are on the verge of direct military conflict.
Copyright 1999-2024 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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