U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command Executes Minuteman III ICBM Test Launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base
UNITED STATES — An operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile occurred on November 5 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron, employing the Airborne Launch Control System aboard a U.S. Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft, initiated the launch.
The missile’s reentry vehicle traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Airmen from all three Air Force Global Strike Command missile wings supported the task force, with maintainers from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming providing essential maintenance. The 377th Test and Evaluation Group oversaw the planning and execution.
This test, designated GT 254, assessed the reliability, operational readiness, and accuracy of the intercontinental ballistic missile system. It demonstrated the effectiveness and continuous availability of the Airborne Launch Control System as a backup command and control mechanism.
The Western Test Range at Vandenberg Space Force Base served as the testing ground for this effort. Data collected supports the research, development, test, and evaluation of America’s defense and space programs.
As the U.S. Air Force transitions to the LGM-35A Sentinel weapon system, such tests maintain the existing Minuteman III fleet’s capabilities.
Acronym Index
ICBM: Intercontinental Ballistic Missile
AFGSC: Air Force Global Strike Command
ALCS: Airborne Launch Control System
RTS: Reagan Test Site
Launch Execution and Technical Details
 | A guest post by
|