Minuteman III Test Launch Showcases Readiness of U.S. Nuclear Force’s Safe, Effective Deterrent

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VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – Feb. 19, 2025 – A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen and Vandenberg Space Force Base Guardians launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a single telemetered joint test assembly re-entry vehicle Feb. 19 at 1:00 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The Western Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base serves as the primary testing ground for the Air Force Global Strike Command’s ICBM deterrent architecture. This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities designed to demonstrate that the United States’ nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, reliable, and effective in deterring 21st-century threats and reassuring our allies.