Air Force test launched ICBM this week, part of longstanding testing program
Air Force Global Strike Command conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with two test re-entry vehicles at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time on March 3 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
This launch, designated GT 255, was scheduled years ago, and is not in response to world events.
The Air Force typically conducts three to four ICBM test launches annually.
AFGSC test launching ICBM next week
The test launches are a key component of a data-driven program over decades, involving more than 300 similar tests designed to validate the Minuteman III system’s performance. The data is used for ongoing and future force development, according to AFGSC.
The March 3 test focused on the ICBM’s performance, but also that of the multiple reentry vehicles, which are primarily used to “increase missile effectiveness and overcome enemy defenses,” according to AFGSC.
The missile for this launch was pulled from the 91st Missile Wing’s complex at Minot Air Force Base and transported to Vandenberg, Col. John Sheets, AFGSC spokesman, told The Electric last week.
The Air Force rotates between the three missile wings to pull a missile.
The launch crew and maintainers include a mix of airmen from the three missile wings, Sheets said.
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During the test, the ICBM’s two reentry vehicles traveled thousands of miles to a pre-determined target at the
Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The long-range flight allows engineers and weapons experts from the 377th
Test and Evaluation Group to collect data on the missile’s accuracy and reliability, verifying that every component of the ICBM weapon system performs as designed, according to AFGSC.
The 377th provides that data to agencies, including the federal defense and energy departments, and U.S. Strategic Command for comprehensive force development evaluation with the primary objective of evaluating the Minuteman III’s operational capability.
Air Force launches unarmed ICBM as part of routine, pre-planned test [2025]
“Test launches are the most visible and vital way we verify our capabilities and validate the performance of our systems,” Col. Dustin Harmon, 377th commander, said in a release. “The men and women of our missile community represent some of the most highly trained professionals in our nation’s defense. These tests confirm their unmatched ability to support this critical mission and provide crucial data that ensures our systems remain ready and reliable.”
*Air Force photo
