The Air Force is to start an unarmed rocket from the Vandenberg Space Force Base overnight to demonstrate the willingness of the US Kernarsenal.
Clear sky will easily see the spectacle from Southern California. Residents of Oregon and Nevada as well as western parts of Utah, Arizona and Mexico should also be able to recognize The rocket roams over the sky.
The intercontinental ballistic rocket from Minuteman III will be launched at some point between 11:01 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday at 5:01 p.m. by the base of Santa Barbara County. The aim is “to demonstrate the willingness of the United States' nuclear armed forces and to ensure trust in the lethality and effectiveness of the nuclear deterrence of the nation,” said the Air Force Global Strikkommando.
The Minuteman is a mighty weapon that is able to carry three nuclear warheads that can be removed, according to which more than 6,000 miles removed air force. His area from the Vandenberg base could extend to the next point of the Antarctic to the Philippines and far east such as Spain.
With its top speed, the Minuteman can travel 15,000 miles per hour -about 25 -as fast as a typical passenger jet and almost 70 -faster than the fastest Ferrari. It is 59.9 feet long and weighs about £ 80,000.
America's ballistic rockets can achieve destinations about 30 minutes after the start. In the first three minutes, three fixed fuel rocket engines lead the rocket flight. Then follows the rocket of a curve-shaped trajectory that releases the explosive head in the course of the course and sends it to the goal.
The routine test of the rocket on Tuesday evening was planned years in advance and, according to Air Force, will check the effectiveness, willingness and accuracy of the weapon system. According to their international agreements, the United States and the more than 140 nations, which members of the Hague Code of Conducts are against ballistic rocket distribution of the planned start, have informed.
The last routine test took place on November 5th When a Minuteman III was started by the Vandenberg base and 4,200 miles drove to the Marshall Islands. It ended up in the US Armal region and in the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Raksile Defense Test Site of the Ronald Reagan Reagan, where researchers used flight data to evaluate system performance.
“These tests demonstrate what striker in which the President is called in the fight,” said General Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, in a statement in November. “An air start in the air confirms the survival ability of our ICBMS (intercontinental ballistic rockets), which serve as a strategic defense and defense of allies and partners of our nation.”
The Air Force has 400 Minuteman III rockets in bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. These rockets have been a main support of the nuclear weapons of America since the 1970s, and most of the basic infrastructure of the system still uses the original equipment.
From 2029 the Air Force intends to gradually start Replacing the Minuteman III. With a modernized arsenal of LG-35A-Sentinel rockets. By the mid-2030s, the complete ability of the Sentinel rockets has been reached, the Air Force says that it was ensured that Minuteman III remains a sustainable deterrent.
The United States have the second largest number of nuclear weapons in the world with around 5,040 explosive heads, According to data Collected by the Federation of American scientists. Russia has the largest stock with around 5,580 explosive heads.
China with about 500 explosive heads follow the two superpowers, France with 290 and Great Britain with 225.