US tests unarmed nuclear missile over Pacific Ocean

The United States Air Force has conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with two test re-entry vehicles as part of routine efforts to verify the reliability of the system.

The launch, designated GT-255, took place on 3 March from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. According to Air Force Global Strike Command, the test had been scheduled years in advance and was not conducted in response to current world events.

During the flight, the missile’s re-entry vehicles travelled thousands of miles to a pre-determined target at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Engineers and weapons specialists used the test to collect data on missile accuracy, reliability and overall system performance.

“GT 255 allowed us to assess the performance of individual components of the missile system,” said Lt Col Karrie Wray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron. “By continually assessing varying mission profiles, we are able to enhance the performance of the entire ICBM fleet, ensuring the maximum level of readiness for the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad.”

The test also examined the performance of multiple re-entry vehicles, which are designed to increase missile effectiveness and complicate missile defence systems. “It is critical to test all aspects of our ICBM force, including our ability to deliver multiple, independently targeted payloads with absolute precision,” said General S.L. Davis, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command.

Officials said the data gathered during the launch will be analysed by the 377th Test and Evaluation Group and shared with the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy and U.S. Strategic Command to support future force development.

The Minuteman III remains the land-based component of the United States nuclear triad while the Air Force continues work on its planned replacement, the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM.