U.S. tests long-range missile

The Air Force Global Strike Command said Tuesday that it carried out a successful test of the Minuteman III, a nuclear-capable long-range missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The missile was not armed with a nuclear warhead. The re-entry vehicle traveled 4,200 miles from where it was launched.

Why are they testing it? The Air Force said the test was to provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the United States’ nuclear capabilities. It has conducted about 300 of these drills and said this one was not in response to any political situation. A new missile program, the LG-35A Sentinel, is planned to replace the Minuteman III starting in about 2029, but the Air Force said it’s committed to ensuring the Minuteman III “remains a viable deterrent” until the transition is complete, probably in the mid-2030s.

Dig deeper: Listen to Cal Thomas’ report on The World and Everything in It podcast about Putin using nukes to prevent the West from getting involved in the Russia-Ukraine war.