On April 19, the US Navy and Air Force test-fired the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). A week after the test, the US Air Force released a video of the missile launch.
The video was published a few days after photos taken aboard the E-6B Mercury “doomsday plane” during the Minuteman III test launch became available to the public.
The United States conducted the ICBM test to demonstrate the readiness of the nuclear deterrent to respond to emerging threats. The missile with a test warhead flew almost 7,000 kilometers and once again demonstrated the reliability of the Minuteman III. In total, the United States has conducted more than 300 test launches of ICBMs.
The United States has approximately 400 Minuteman IIIs in service. The missile is capable of reaching a speed of about 24,000 km/h and traveling almost 10,000 km. ICBMs are stored in silos located in several states: Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, and Wyoming.
The Department of Defense plans to replace the Minuteman III with a new missile. It is called Sentinel and is being developed by Northrop Grumman. The first ICBM is expected to be in service early in the next decade. The Sentinel will remain in service until the 2070s.
