The United States is preparing to carry out the launch of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) across the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean sometime this week. However, military officials have clarified that this event has no connection to President Donald Trump’s recently articulated and somewhat perplexing statements regarding potential new plans for nuclear testing. Instead, the forthcoming launch represents a carefully scheduled and standard procedure in the ongoing maintenance and verification program of the U.S. Air Force. Specifically, the test involves an unarmed Minuteman III missile—a weapon system that has served as a crucial component of America’s nuclear deterrent since the late 1960s. The event’s sole objective is to confirm that this aging yet still operational system remains both reliable and precise, even as efforts to develop its long-awaited successor continue to encounter serious obstacles, including technical delays and rising costs.
According to the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command, the Minuteman III will be fired from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California during a six-hour launch window between 11:01 p.m. Tuesday and 5:01 a.m. Pacific Time on Wednesday. The previous test, which took place in May, demonstrated the remarkable reach of this platform, as the missile successfully traveled more than 4,200 miles before striking a designated target area in the Marshall Islands. Such intercontinental tests are not spontaneous but rather form part of a rigorously planned long-term testing sequence. These assessments are scheduled years in advance to ensure that every aspect of the ICBM fleet remains ready for potential deployment. However, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) has noted that, at present, the Air Force has formal testing plans mapped only through 2030 and continues to work toward a coherent strategy for operational launch tests beyond that date.
One significant challenge in scheduling future tests stems from the delicate balance between sustaining the existing Minuteman III missiles and advancing the complex project of developing their replacement—the Sentinel ICBM. Initially, Sentinel was expected to begin systematically replacing all 450 Minuteman III missiles later this decade at a projected cost of approximately $78 billion. That optimistic schedule has now slipped well into the 2030s, while the projected expenses have more than doubled, surpassing $140 billion. The Pentagon attributes this dramatic escalation to a combination of misjudged deadlines, intricate design and engineering difficulties, and a weakening industrial base that no longer possesses the same depth of specialized manufacturing capability it once had. Compounding these problems are internal structural and management issues within the Air Force itself, as noted by the GAO’s most recent analysis.
Until the Sentinel system becomes operational, the Air Force will be compelled to maintain and periodically modernize the Minuteman III arsenal, potentially extending the service life of these missiles into the 2050s. These ICBMs traditionally represent the land-based pillar of the U.S. nuclear triad—the trio of strategic forces that collectively underpin America’s nuclear deterrent strategy. The triad also includes submarine-launched ballistic missiles, which ensure stealth and survivability, and nuclear gravity bombs carried by long-range strategic bombers such as the B-2 Spirit.
The timing of this routine launch is particularly noteworthy because it coincides with President Trump’s recent and ambiguous remarks concerning the resumption of U.S. nuclear testing. In the days following his announcement that the United States would begin preparing to test nuclear weapons again, confusion spread among analysts and nuclear experts alike. Many sought clarification as to whether the president meant a return to explosive nuclear device testing—activities not conducted by the U.S. since the 1990s—or whether he was merely referring to system tests of nuclear delivery mechanisms such as the Minuteman III, which are still regularly executed as part of national defense maintenance programs.
During an interview with Norah O’Donnell on CBS News’ program *60 Minutes*, President Trump remarked that the United States should “test nuclear weapons like other countries do,” specifically citing Russia and China as nations that allegedly continue such activities discreetly. His statement seemed to suggest an intention to resume actual explosive nuclear testing, though the ambiguity of his phrasing left room for interpretation. Shortly afterward, Energy Secretary Chris Wright—whose department oversees the National Nuclear Security Administration and thereby U.S. nuclear testing protocols—appeared on Fox News and offered a clarifying comment. He indicated that the current discussions within the administration pertain primarily to system tests and non-critical experiments rather than to any plans involving detonations of nuclear devices.
These conflicting messages have generated widespread debate among experts in nuclear policy, arms control, and strategic deterrence. While some policymakers fear that renewed testing could undermine decades of international nonproliferation norms, others maintain that system testing remains an essential practice for ensuring the reliability of America’s deterrent forces. The Air Force has reiterated that events such as the Minuteman III launch do not involve nuclear explosions but are instead “non-critical” experiments designed to verify system integrity and accuracy.
Despite sporadic allegations that Russia and China may have conducted low-yield or zero-yield experiments in possible violation of international agreements, the only publicly confirmed nuclear detonations in recent decades have occurred at North Korea’s Punggye-ri test site. Nevertheless, senior officials such as CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who chairs the Senate Intelligence Committee, have both expressed support for President Trump’s assertions, stating their belief that Moscow and Beijing are engaging in tests beyond the zero-yield threshold. However, Vice Admiral Richard Correll, nominated by Trump to lead U.S. Strategic Command, contradicted those claims in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee. He stated that there is no evidence suggesting that either Russia or China has carried out a nuclear explosive test. Correll further speculated that the president’s comments may have been alluding to delivery-system evaluations rather than to nuclear detonations themselves. Despite the apparent confusion at the political level, Correll assured lawmakers that America’s nuclear forces remain in a high state of readiness, supported by extensive simulations, subcritical experiments, and rigorous testing procedures that thoroughly validate the safety and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear arsenal.
Sourse: https://www.businessinsider.com/us-will-launch-an-unarmed-minuteman-iii-icbm-across-the-pacific-2025-11
