Key Takeaways
- US Air Force testing Minuteman III ICBM in scheduled readiness exercise
- Unarmed missile to travel 4,200 miles to Pacific test range
- Test occurs amid heightened nuclear tensions with Russia and China
- Minuteman III carries three nuclear warheads, can strike globally in 30 minutes
The US Air Force is conducting a hypersonic missile test tonight, launching an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base. The scheduled exercise tests the weapon system’s effectiveness and readiness amid growing nuclear arms race concerns.
The missile could launch between 11pm PT Wednesday and 5am PT Thursday, traveling 4,200 miles to a test range near Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean. The flight is expected to take approximately 22 minutes.
Nuclear Capabilities and Arsenal
America’s Minuteman III ICBM can carry three Mk 12A nuclear warheads, each with up to 350,000 tons of TNT explosive power. The system is designed to hit targets anywhere worldwide within 30 minutes of launch.
While this test involves a single missile, the US maintains a substantial nuclear arsenal. According to a 2025 Nuclear Information Project report:
- Approximately 1,770 deployed warheads total
- 400 on land-based ICBMs
- 970 on submarine-launched ballistic missiles
- 300 at US bomber bases
- 100 tactical bombs at European bases
Routine Test Amid Political Tensions
Military officials emphasize this is a routine exercise scheduled years in advance. However, the timing coincides with President Donald Trump’s claims that Russia and China are conducting secret underground nuclear tests.
‘Russia’s testing and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. They don’t have reporters that are going to be writing about it, we do,’ Trump told 60 Minutes’ Norah O’Donnell.
The Air Force traditionally selects missiles at random from F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming for these exercises. The service operates 400 silo-based Minuteman III ICBMs with 50 additional “warm” silos available if needed.
Weapon System Transition
The Minuteman III remains a vital component of US nuclear forces but is scheduled for replacement by the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM by 2029. The Air Force states the Sentinel system is “the most cost-effective option for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective land-based leg of the nuclear triad” with capabilities extending through 2075.
Until full Sentinel capability is achieved in the mid-2030s, the Air Force is committed to maintaining the Minuteman III as a viable deterrent.
Global Nuclear Context
This test follows recent claims by Vladimir Putin that Russia tested a nuclear-powered torpedo and new cruise missile. It also comes after Trump vowed to restart US nuclear weapons testing, creating confusion about whether he meant the country’s first nuclear explosion since 1992.
No country other than North Korea has conducted nuclear detonations in decades. Russia and China haven’t performed such tests since 1990 and 1996, respectively.
