The Air Force successfully launched a Minuteman III ICBM yesterday from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands in a routine test to ensure the continued reliability and accuracy of the Minuteman fleet. The missile, which lifted off at 1:01 a.m. local time, traveled about 4,220 nautical miles westward over the Pacific Ocean before its three mock warheads touched down on predetermined targets. The test mission saw the return of the test model under which maintenance personnel from an operational Minutemen wing—in this case, the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Mont.—worked with Vandenberg’s 30th Space Wing to conduct the launch and have the opportunity to perform in roles unique to testing. (Vandenberg report by 2nd Lt. Raymond Geoffroy)
The Air Force has dispatched an element of its Natural Disaster Recovery Team to Guam in the wake of Super Typhoon Mawar, which has caused widespread damage on the island and at Andersen Air Force Base. The team will assess the damage and put together a recovery cost estimate for…