US Fires Doomsday Missile Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East
Image Source: Internet
The US launched a Minuteman III doomsday ballistic missile, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, off the California coast on Tuesday night. The missile was fired thousands of miles into the Pacific Ocean from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara at 11 PM local time.
The Minuteman III is the US' sole active land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), forming the ground leg of America's nuclear triad. It has a range exceeding 13,000 km and can carry up to three independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) armed with nuclear warheads.
The launch was to assess the performance of the missile system, according to the US Space Force. Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, said in a press release that the test was to 'enhance the performance of the entire ICBM fleet, ensuring the maximum level of readiness for the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad.'
There is no clear Iran link with Tuesday's test, but tensions in the region remain high. Kurdish Iranian dissident groups based in northern Iraq are preparing for a potential cross-border military operation in Iran.
