US Space Force to test Minuteman III missile tonight as nuclear deterrent

The US Space Force was set to launch an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental missile on election night — testing America’s nuclear-deterrent strategy during heightened tensions with the Mideast and Russia.The test-launch, which was scheduled years in advance, has been designed to “demonstrate the readiness of US nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent,” according to Air Force Global Strike Command.The command said the timing of the test — on Election Day — was merely coincidental, as such launches are typically scheduled for early November, with last year’s maneuver taking place Nov.1.

“The election had nothing to do with its scheduling,” the agency told local California outlet the Lompoc Record.The test was scheduled to begin just after 11 p.m.

PST, launching from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, officials said.The LGM-30G Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, serves as America’s land-based nuclear-weapon unit.

About 400 such missiles ready for use in the US, according to the Air Force.As per standard protocol, the Hague Code of Conduct — the international body overseeing the use of ballistic missiles — and Russia had been notified in advance.

The test will have come just a week after Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered a massive nuclear training exercise simulating the use of Moscow’s own ballistic missiles, stoking Cold War fears.Despite the show of force, Putin claimed his nation’s nuclear arsenal would only be deployed under an “extremely exceptional measure,” claiming Russia is not interested in starting a “new arms race.”But Putin also warned the US and NATO that Russia would use nuclear force should the nation be directly attacked by a non-nuclear country that is supported by a nuclear power — a clear threat to the US and other allies of Ukraine, which it invaded in 2023 and is still at war with.

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