An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was successfully launched from North Vandenberg at 1:01 a.m. September 15.
The purpose of the launch was to verify the continued reliability and accuracy of the Minuteman 3 ICBM force.
Operations crewmembers from the 341st Space Wing, Malmstrom Air Force Base, Mont., led by Capt. Bernie Isenberg, launched the missile under the direction of the 576th Flight Test Squadron here. Capt. Jerry Buchanan, 576th FLTS, was the launch director.
Col. Frank Gallegos, 30th Space Wing Commander, was the spacelift commander. The mission director was Lt. Col. Don Hale, 576th FLTS operations officer. Members of the 576th FLTS installed tracking, telemetry and command destruct systems on the missile to collect data and meet safety requirements.
The missile’s three unarmed re-entry vehicles will travel approximately 4,200 miles in about 30 minutes, hitting a pre-determined target at the Kwajalein Missile Range in the western chain of the Marshall Islands. The nation’s ICBMs are a key component of global stability – a safe, secure and affordable weapon system that delivers deterrence.
