The Air Force fired an unarmed missile from the Vandenberg Space Force Base overnight to prove the preparation of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
The Militia III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from the Santa Barbara County base at about 1 a.m. Wednesday. According to the country’s purpose, the aim is to “prove the preparation of the U.S. nuclear force and provide confidence in the deadly and effective nature of the national nuclear deterrence.” Air Force Global Strike Command. In the past, the country has conducted more than 300 similar tests.
A surgical test from the Van Denberg Space Force Base in Lomok fired an unarmed Militia III intercontinental ballistic missile during a combat test at 1 a.m. Wednesday at 1 a.m. Pacific time.
(Joshua Leroi/Staff of the US Space Force)
The missile fired in the Pacific Ocean and traveled more than 4,200 miles within the test range of the Marshall Islands.
The militia is a powerful weapon capable of carrying three nuclear warheads and reaching independent targets of more than 6,000 miles. air force. It extends from the base of Vandenberg to the Arctic, to the closest South Pole of the Antarctic, to the west to the Philippines, and to Spain.
At peak speeds, militias can travel 15,000 mph, about 25 times the rate of a typical passenger plane and almost 70 times faster than the fastest Ferrari. It is 59.9 feet long and weighs about 80,000 pounds.
Video released by Vandenberg Space Force Base shows the missiles and their travels in the sky.
About 30 minutes after launch, the US ballistic missile can reach global targets. In the first three minutes, three solid-fuel rocket motors powered the missile’s flight. The missile then follows a curved trajectory, releasing the warhead intermediate route and sending it to the target.
According to the Air Force, routine testing plans for missiles were conducted several years ahead of schedule on Wednesday morning and will be used to verify the effectiveness, preparation and accuracy of the weapon system. Under its international agreement, the United States has notified Russia and more than 140 countries, which are the Hague Code of Conduct, against the proliferation of planned ballistic missiles. The Air Force said the launch is not a response to current global events. ”
“We collected and analyzed performance and other critical data points to evaluate current missile system capabilities,” said Colonel Dustin Harmon, commander of the 377th TEG. “This allows our team to analyze and report the accuracy and reliability of the current system while verifying projection missile system improvements. The data we collect and analyze is essential to maintaining the Little Militia III when maintaining the Sentinel paving the way.”
The last routine test Occurred on November 5 When a militia III launched from Van Denberg base, headed to the Marshall Islands 4,200 miles. It landed at the Ronald Reagan ballistic missile defense test site of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, where researchers used flight data to evaluate system performance.
“These tests prove the battle brought by the forward pilots,” General Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, said in a statement released in November. “The airborne launch verifies The survivability of our intercontinental ballistic missiles [intercontinental ballistic missiles]This is our country’s strategic support for defense and defense of allies and partners. ”
The Air Force used 400 Militia III missiles at bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. These missiles have been the midstream pillars of the U.S. nuclear weapons force since the 1970s, and most of the system’s infrastructure still uses original equipment.
Starting from 2029, the Air Force intends to start gradually Replace the Militia III Modern arsenal with LG-35A Sentinel missiles. Before achieving the full capacity of Sentinel missiles by the mid-2030s, the Air Force said it was committed to ensuring that the Militia III remains a viable deterrent.
The United States has the world’s second largest nuclear weapon, with about 5,040 warheads. According to data Collected by the American Federation of Scientists. Russia has the largest inventory, with about 5,580 warheads.
These two superpowers are followed by China, with about 500 warheads, 290 in France and 225 in Britain.
