The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) successfully carried out an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The test was conducted between 11:01 p.m. on February 18 and 5:01 a.m. on February 19.
Early this morning, @AFGlobalStrike Airmen & @SLDelta30 Guardians launched an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM test launch, ensuring the 🇺🇸 maintains a strong, credible nuclear deterrent vital to national security & the safety of U.S. #AlliesandPartners.
👉https://t.co/aVsAz4vRrw pic.twitter.com/gRA9LWtcdO— U.S. Space Command (@US_SpaceCom) February 19, 2025
The missile followed a designated trajectory toward the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean, a long-established impact zone for such tests.
According to the AFGSC, the test was scheduled years in advance and is consistent with routine evaluations of the Minuteman III system. The launch aimed to validate the weapon’s effectiveness and ensure continued confidence in its operational capabilities.
The United States has successfully tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. pic.twitter.com/pszC6JYhxU
— OSINTWarfare (@OSINTWarfare) February 19, 2025
In accordance with U.S. arms control agreements, the Russian government was notified ahead of time, and a pre-launch notification was transmitted under the Hague Code of Conduct.
The Minuteman III, which first became operational in 1970, serves as the land-based component of the U.S. nuclear triad, alongside submarine-launched ballistic missiles and strategic bombers.
Originally developed during the Cold War, the missile was the first to incorporate multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles, allowing a single launch to strike multiple targets.
Over the decades, it has undergone numerous upgrades to improve its accuracy and survivability, including enhancements to its inertial guidance system and reinforcement against electromagnetic pulse attacks.
The U.S. currently maintains a force of 400 Minuteman III missiles, distributed across three missile wings at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota.
