First Launch of Minuteman III

Aug. 16, 1968

The first test launch of a Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM is carried out from Cape Kennedy AFS, Fla.

Related

Guard Leaders Tell Congress the Air Force Needs 100 New Fighters a Year

April 13, 2026
National Guard adjutants general from nearly two dozen states have signed a letter to Congress seeking multiyear funding for the Air Force to purchase between 72 and 100 new fighter jets per year to modernize the total force.The letter, sent to Congress last week, stresses the need for the Air…

How Vandenberg’s Range Is Scaling to Meet Launch Demand

April 10, 2026
In the last five years, the annual launch rate at the Space Force’s West Coast range has surged from a handful of missions to 66 in 2025. Now, Vandenberg Space Force Base in California expects to support 150 launches in the next five years and upwards of 200 by 2036.

USAFA Names New Commandant of Cadets as Leadership Shakeup Continues

April 10, 2026
The U.S. Air Force Academy took another step toward emerging from a senior leader shakeup this week with the selection of a new commandant of cadets—though it is still unclear who will be the Academy’s next superintendent with the impending retirement of Lt. Gen. Tony Bauernfeind.