UPDATE:
Right on time Thursday, the Minuteman III missile launch test took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time Feb. 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. pic.twitter.com/b8DK4tL0gT
— Vandenberg Space Force Base (@SLDelta30) February 10, 2023
ORIGINAL STORY:
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base between Thursday night and Friday morning.
The launch is scheduled to take place between 11:01 p.m. on February 9 and 5:01 a.m. on February 10.
According to Air Force officials, the launch is a routine test that was scheduled years in advance. The purpose of the test is to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and "validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapon system.
