WASHINGTON: The United States has test-fired an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) across the Pacific in what officials described as a routine exercise aimed at demonstrating the reliability of the country’s nuclear deterrent.
The missile was launched late Tuesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and travelled thousands of kilometres before striking a designated test target near Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, according to the US Air Force Global Strike Command.
The launch took place during a week of heightened tensions in the Middle East, though US defence officials said the test had been scheduled years in advance and was not linked to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
The missile — formally known as the LGM-30G Minuteman III — carried two non-nuclear test re-entry vehicles designed to collect data on the weapon system’s performance, reliability and accuracy, the command said in a statement cited by multiple media reports.
“This test launch is part of a routine and periodic activity designed to demonstrate that the United States’ nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure and effective,” the command said.
The launch was conducted by engineers and weapons specialists from the 377th Test and Evaluation Group, who monitored the missile’s flight and gathered performance data from each phase of the system.
🚨🇺🇸U.S. just tested a Minuteman III ballistic missile off the California coast while war rages in Iran.
The ICBM can carry nuclear warheads 20x more powerful than Hiroshima and travel 6,000 miles at 15,000 mph.
It hit its target near the Marshall Islands.
Pentagon says it was… https://t.co/0Xqjtatg7T pic.twitter.com/xYUN2yGOvj
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) March 5, 2026
US officials say more than 300 similar tests have been conducted over the decades as part of a long-running programme to validate the reliability of the country’s land-based nuclear missile force.
Middle East tensions
The timing of the launch has nonetheless drawn attention as the United States and Israel remain engaged in military operations against Iran.
The confrontation escalated after US-Israeli strikes on Iranian targets killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, prompting Iranian missile and drone attacks on Israel and US military installations in the Gulf.
The widening conflict has raised fears of a broader regional war, making any demonstration of strategic military capability particularly sensitive.
US defence officials, however, said routine testing of strategic missiles is essential to ensure that the country’s nuclear forces remain ready and credible as part of its deterrence strategy.
US land-based nuclear missile
The Minuteman III is the only land-based intercontinental ballistic missile currently deployed by the United States.
It forms one leg of the country’s nuclear “triad”, alongside nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarines and long-range strategic bombers.
The missile can travel roughly 13,000 kilometres and reach speeds exceeding Mach 23, allowing it to deliver its payload anywhere across continents in about 30 minutes.
It is capable of carrying a W-87 nuclear warhead, which is significantly more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki during the Second World War.
Originally designed to carry multiple independently targetable nuclear warheads, the system is now configured with a single warhead under arms-reduction treaties between Washington and Moscow.
