The United States Air Force test-launched an intercontinental ballistic missile on Monday, the same day North Korea fired three midrange missiles into the Sea of Japan. The test of the unarmed Minuteman III ICBM at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., comes at a time when President Obama has called for extended deterrence measures and reaffirmed U.S. commitment to the defense of regional Asian allies.
The missile’s re-entry vehicle contained a telemetry package for operational testing and traveled about 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, according to the U.S. Air Force. Col. Craig Ramsey, the 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said the launch followed an “enormous reconfiguration of range assets that took six months to complete.” READ MORE
