US launches Nuclear-capable Minuteman III In doomsday missile test

Srinagar, May 22: As part of U.S. President Donald Trump’s push for a nationwide missile defense system, the U.S. Air Force conducted a test launch of a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday. The unarmed Minuteman III missile was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California in what has been described as a “doomsday” missile test.

According to the Air Force, the missile traveled approximately 4,200 miles at speeds exceeding 15,000 miles per hour, ultimately reaching its target at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site, located on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

Trump on Tuesday announced an initial $25 billion in funding for ‘Golden Dome‘ – a nationwide missile defense system – saying its eventual cost would be about $175 billion. He wants a system that can defend against a wide array of enemy weapons, from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic and cruise missiles and drones.

The Minuteman III nuclear-capable missile is equipped with a single Mark-21 high-fidelity re-entry vehicle – which would typically contain a nuclear payload if it were launched operationally. It has been test-launched many times in the past – even moments before Trump declared his Presidential victory in November 2024.

General Thomas Bussiere, commander of the US Global Strike Command, in a statement that this ICBM test launch underscores the strength of the nation’s nuclear deterrent and the readiness of the ICBM leg of the triad. He added further that this powerful safeguard is maintained by dedicated Airmen – missileers, defenders, helicopter operators and the teams who supports them – who ensure the security of the nation and its allies.

The US military also clarified that the missile launch test was routine and “not a response to current world events”.