A normal, but important, ICBM test
The missile was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base late Tuesday, and the Air Force Global Strike Command gave it the name GT-255. The missile’s two parts that come back to Earth flew a great many miles to an area near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands which had been chosen ahead of time to be the place where they would land.
Officials explained that the launch showed how well, how quickly, and how accurately the missile worked; and that it allowed engineers to check out parts of the weapon when it was being used. They also said that testing different types of missions helps keep the land-based part of the nuclear “triad” – ICBMs, submarines with missiles, and planes that carry bombs – at a very high level of readiness.
The Air Force stressed that the test had been planned for a long time, and was open to everyone, being part of a program based on facts which has done hundreds of launches over the decades to prove how well it works and to help develop the force for the future.
What is a Minuteman III?
The LGM-30G Minuteman III is the ICBM the U.S. keeps in underground silos, and is a main part of the nuclear triad, along with ballistic missile submarines and planes which can drop bombs. First put into use in 1970, around 400 missiles are still ready to launch from Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
The Minuteman III is made to be able to reach anywhere in the world quickly. The missile can travel about 6,000 miles at speeds of more than 15,000 miles per hour. It can carry nuclear bombs that are much more powerful than the one dropped on Hiroshima, and is a key part of the U.S. plan to stop other countries from attacking.
Kept in strong, underground silos, the system is controlled by a strict rule that two people must agree to launch it – no single person can start the launch on their own. In some tests, and if things were to get really bad, an E-6B plane which commands in the air can give the order to launch; this is why the weapon is sometimes called the “doomsday missile”.
How an ICBM launch works
When launched, the missile using solid fuel quickly rises out of its silo and gets rid of parts as it speeds up. After the initial boost, it follows a curved path through space, drifting in the middle part of its flight before the parts which come back to Earth split off and fall to their targets at very high speed.
The parts which come back to Earth are made to deal with the extreme heat and pressure as they fall back into the air. Accurate control allows them to be delivered very accurately. In tests, the parts do not carry bombs, but have instruments to collect data on how the missile and the parts work when they come back.
The Minuteman III has always been able to carry more than one part that comes back to Earth. Modern tests can include checking the splitting off, flight, and accuracy of more than one test part, to prove that the system works in all sorts of situations.
Why the U.S. tests its ICBMs
Regular test launches do three things: keep readiness, prove reliability, and make data which helps with upkeep and making the system better. The Air Force says this regular pattern is very important for a system which is getting old, but is still very important.
Even though the Minuteman III has had a lot of work done to make it last longer, the Pentagon plans to replace it with the Sentinel ICBM. Delays in the program have made it likely that the Minuteman III will be kept in service for longer than was first planned, making regular testing even more important.
By planning tests years ahead and telling people when they will happen, the U.S. wants to stop other countries – both enemies and allies – from getting the wrong idea. Open testing helps show that the exercises are about checking and safety, and not about warning someone that a crisis is coming.
Stopping attacks when tensions with Iran are increasing
The launch happens at a time when the U.S. is facing more problems with Iran, and a wider conflict in the area. Attacks with missiles and drones, problems with ships, and political games have raised the risk on many sides in the Middle East.
U.S. officials say that the strategic forces work on their own time, and are separate from the problems of the day. The message is two-fold: the nuclear weapons are still believable and ready, and their management is based on set rules rather than what happens in the short term.
Stopping attacks depends on other countries believing that the U.S. can take a first attack and then answer in a strong way. A tested, open, and well-kept fleet of ICBMs supports this belief, and is meant to stop people from making the wrong decision even when normal fighting gets worse.
As the situation with Iran changes, those who plan defense will keep balancing making sure things are alright, being careful, and being ready. Tuesday’s successful Minuteman III launch was a reminder that, even though the world is politically charged, America’s nuclear plan is managed through being normal, careful, and using data – not acting on a whim.
