The unarmed Minuteman III launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on November 5, 2025. The test was aimed at validating the reliability, combat readiness, and accuracy of the intercontinental ballistic missile system, which remains a critical element of U.S. national defense.
The missile flew approximately 4,200 miles (6,750 km) before arriving at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Range on Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands.
Experts from the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command used radar, optical sensors, and telemetry systems to collect critical data and analyze flight characteristics.
It is worth noting that the Minuteman III is a US intercontinental ballistic missile that has been in service since the early 1970s and forms the basis of the US nuclear triad.
This missile can carry a nuclear warhead over a distance of over 12,000 kilometers and can strike targets with high precision.
Despite its age, the Minuteman III continues to be modernized with upgrades to its control, guidance, and security systems.
US President Donald Trump announced last week that he had ordered the military to resume nuclear testing.
According to American leaders, they made this decision because other countries have already conducted such experiments.
The move came after Russian President Vladimir Putin boasted about Russia’s “latest” weapons.
In particular, he spoke of the successful test of the Burevestnik missile, which claimed to be equipped with a nuclear power plant, and said that no similar weapon existed in the world.
Kremlin leaders also claimed that Russia had successfully tested the nuclear-powered underwater drone Poseidon.
MNA