The US will launch two intercontinental ballistic missiles
The US will launch two Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles on June 4 and 6.
According to RIA Novosti, the US Space Command announced that the US will launch two Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles next week.
“The first test is scheduled to take place on June 4 from 12:01 to June 4, 2024 at 06:01 (local time) from north of Vandenberg. The second test is scheduled to take place on June 6 from 12:01 to 06:01 from north of Vandenberg,” the announcement said.
The tests will be carried out to “demonstrate the readiness of nuclear forces and check their effectiveness”.
The US Command clarified that the US side warned Russia about the upcoming launches.
On May 30, the US Navy conducted a test to intercept an SM-6 Dual II medium-range ballistic missile. The Pentagon said the test demonstrated "the ability to identify, track, and intercept an intermediate-range ballistic missile in its terminal phase of flight."
The US Minuteman III missile has been in service since the 1970s. The new Sentinel ICBM is supposed to replace the Minuteman III, but has had its limitations.
Defense One cited documents from the US Air Force that the first tests of Sentinel were postponed until February 2026 due to delays in component delivery, although it was previously planned that the tests would begin in December 2023.
The US’s much-anticipated next-generation ICBM program is in trouble, largely due to cost overruns from previous estimates. The program is facing criticism for running 37% over budget in its initial phase through January 2024. That triggered the Nunn-McCurdy Act, meaning the Secretary of Defense must now intervene to review the project.
