The U.S. military test-fired two unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles this week, with the Air Force noting they were not driven by “current world events.” The tests took place June 4 and June 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
The reentry vehicle of each missile traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll, Republic of the Marshall Islands. The Minuteman III ICBM system has been in service since the 1970s and is expected to be in use until the 2030s.
The military had intentionally destroyed an unarmed ICBM earlier in the month during a test due to an anomaly. The Air Force intends to field its next ICBM, dubbed Sentinel, though the program is behind schedule and its cost has grown beyond what was anticipated.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. John Garamendi of California noted inconsistencies in the Air Force’s timeline for replacing the Minuteman III, indicating that the Air Force must rely on the Minuteman III until at least 2036.
