Airmen from Malmstrom AFB, Mont., test launched an unarmed Minuteman III missile on Monday from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., as part of a periodical test of the Air Force’s intercontinental ballistic missile fleet. The airmen from the 341st Missile Wing launched the missile at 2:10 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg, and it flew about 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, according to an Air Force Global Strike Command release. The missile carried a telemetry package to provide “valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent,” the release states. The service regularly tests its Minuteman missiles to ensure readiness, though this launch came as North Korea has tested a series of missiles in the Pacific.
Planning an Air Show Is Hard. At Andrews, It’s Even Harder
Sept. 17, 2025
Joint Base Andrews opened its flightline this month to thousands of civilians, exposing a normally restricted airbase that regularly hosts the president and foreign dignitaries to a curious public eager to see current and historic military aircraft up close and in action.
