An unarmed Minuteman III is scheduled to launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base Tuesday.
Base officials say the routine test launch was scheduled years in advance with the purpose of validating and verifying the “effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system” and “provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation's nuclear deterrent,” Air Force Global Strike Command said in a press release.
The unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to lift off between 12:01 a.m. and 6:01 a.m. Tuesday from north base.
The base adds that the Russian government has been notified of the launch, pursuant to New STARTS obligations.
