Early this morning, the U.S. Armed Forces conducted a new demonstration of their nuclear deterrence capabilities with the launch of a Minuteman III ballistic missile, devoid of warheads and equipped with a Mark 21 reentry vehicle, carried out by the Air Force’s Global Strike Command. According to reports, the launch took place from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, the primary testing ground for this type of missile for the aforementioned USAF unit.
Expanding details, the official U.S. statement states that the launch took place as part of its routine periodic activities to maintain its nuclear deterrence capabilities, ensuring their effectiveness and reliability against its allies and potential enemies. Special emphasis has been placed on the issue, dispelling doubts about whether the incident was a response to any specific international event and framing it within the framework of more than 300 tests conducted in the past.
Specifically, the missile traveled more than 6,800 kilometers toward the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Test Site (on Kwajalein Atoll, Marshall Islands), where the US maintains a significant number of sensors to evaluate its performance. In this regard, the US Air Force maintains high-fidelity radars, optical sensors, and telemetry sensors there, the data obtained from which is then sent to technical teams for evaluation.
Among official statements, those made by General Thomas Bussiere, currently serving as commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, stand out: “This ICBM test launch underscores the strength of the nation’s nuclear deterrence and the readiness of the ICBM segment of the triad (…) This powerful safeguard is maintained by dedicated Airmen—missile fighters, defenders, helicopter operators, and the teams that support them—who ensure the security of the nation and its allies.”
For his part, Colonel Dustin Harmon, current commander of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group (involved in the launch as a support unit), stated: “The Minuteman III remains the cornerstone of our nation’s strategic deterrence, and the unwavering dedication of the Airmen who ensure its readiness is a testament to its inherent lethality… Their experience and commitment are vital to maintaining this credible force for peace. Looking ahead, these same Airmen are paving the way for the Sentinel ICBM, ensuring a seamless transition to this next-generation capability and the continued security of our nation.”
Referring to the aforementioned future Sentinel ICBM, it is worth noting that this is one of the most important programs for the U.S. Air Force to renew its deterrence capabilities, and at the same time one of the most problematic. This is primarily due to the significant cost increases associated not only with their development but also with what is expected to be a necessary redesign of the silos that would deploy them in the future from the continental US, which has already resulted in violations of the Nunn-McCurdy Budget Control Act, which sets the tolerable increase margin at 25%. This is no small issue, considering that the institution plans to acquire a total of 634 Sentinel missiles and another 25 test units, with an initial operational capability planned for 2029 that may never materialize.
*Image credits: Sgt. Joshua LeRoi
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