The US military is set to test launch a hypersonic nuclear missile hours after polls close on Election Day.
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is scheduled to take off between 11:01 pm and 5:01 am PT from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Some Americans have expressed concern about testing nuclear weapons on the same day the country votes for the next president.
But military officials noted that the “test is routine and was scheduled years in advance.”
They said the purpose of the test was to show the “readiness of American nuclear forces” and provide “confidence in the nation’s nuclear deterrent” amid fears of the growing threat of the outbreak of World War III.
In the exercise, the ICBM will travel 4,200 miles from the base to Kwajalein Atoll, a small island in the North Pacific, taking about 22 minutes.
The weapon can reach speeds of more than 15,000 miles per hour, allowing it to hit any target around the world in just 30 minutes after launch.
Moscow is about 5,900 miles from California, while Beijing is about 6,000 miles away: the two nations are considered a threat to the United States.
The US military is set to launch an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) between 11:01 pm and 5:01 am PT from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The weapon will travel more than 4,000 miles at speeds exceeding 15,000 miles per hour to a testing range in the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean.
ICBMs are one of two currently used by the United States; the other is submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that are deployed from underwater submarines.
However, the US Titan reached top speeds of 16,000 mph when used between 1963 and 1987.
Titan was capable of traveling to a target more than 6,000 miles away in less than 30 minutes.
But the missile was phased out to make way for more advanced systems, such as the MX Peacekeeper, which had similar speed and range.
The ICBM is a vital component of the US military’s nuclear forces, capable of delivering a nuclear payload to targets around the world, but is scheduled to be phased out by 2029 and replaced with the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM. .
The US Air Force said that “the Sentinel weapons system is the most cost-effective option to maintain a secure and effective land portion of the nuclear triad and would extend its capabilities through 2075.”
The upcoming weapon will replace the 400 Minuteman III ICBMs currently in service for more than 50 years at the Air Force missile ranges at FE Warren Air Force Base (AFB), Wyoming; Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana; and Minot AFB, North Dakota.
The California base conducted the same test in June.
The California base conducted the same test in June (pictured)
The ICBM is a vital component of the US military’s nuclear forces, capable of delivering a nuclear payload to targets around the world.
Col. Bryan Titus, vice commander of Space Launch Delta 30, said: ‘Your test launch marks the beginning of an extraordinary week for our Guardians and Airmen at Vandenberg, with two test launches scheduled from the Western Range.
“These tests are of immense importance not only to the defense of our nation, but they also serve as a crucial moment to showcase the exceptional capabilities and expertise of our dedicated team.”
The upcoming test, however, comes less than a week after North Korea pledged to support Russia until its victory in Ukraine.
And just days later, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned that the United States and Russia are very close to engaging in “direct military conflict.”
“Under the current president (Joe Biden), who has taken the downward spiral of Russophobia in the US to its logical conclusion, our countries are on the brink of a direct military conflict,” he told the newspaper Hurriyet, without giving further details. .
Asked about next week’s US election that will pit former Republican President Donald Trump against Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, Lavrov said the result would make little difference to Russia.
We don’t have a preference. “When the Trump administration was in power, it adopted the largest number of anti-Russian sanctions compared to its predecessors,” he said.
“No matter who wins the election, we do not believe that the anti-Russian inclination of the United States can change.”