Vandenberg Air Force Base is planning an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile next week.
The launch is scheduled for Tuesday, July 31, between 12:01 a.m. and 6:01 a.m.
Air Force officials say such test launches provide "valuable data to planners and holistically test the system, procedures and Airmen from the initial mission planning to the final weapons employment phases."
The last Minuteman III test launch at Vandenberg Air Force Base was conducted in May. The Air Force says it typically schedules four test launches per year.
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base on May 3, 2017. (U.S. Air Force photo by 2nd Lt. William Collette)
