U.S. Conducts Minuteman III Test From Vandenberg Following Russia’s Sarmat Launch

Overview

• The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command launched an unarmed Minuteman III at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday from Vandenberg Space Force Base in a test labeled GT 256.
• Officials said the operation was scheduled years in advance to verify the weapon system’s effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy.
• The missile carried a telemetry package and is programmed to travel about 4,200 miles to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
• The launch followed Russia’s recent RS-28 Sarmat test, after which Vladimir Putin said the heavy missile would enter combat duty by year’s end, though outside analysts treat some capability claims cautiously.
• Minuteman III has served since the late 1970s and is slated to be replaced by the LGM-35A Sentinel, which the Pentagon does not expect to field before 2031, a timeline that has fueled debate over the role of silo-based ICBMs in U.S. deterrence.