Watch: US Launches Nuclear-Capable Minuteman III In Doomsday Missile Test

Amid US President Donald Trump's plan for a nationwide missile defense system, the US Air Force launched a nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), Minuteman III, in a doomsday missile test on Wednesday. The missile was unarmed when it was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

According to the US Air Force, the missile flew about 4,200 miles, at a speed of more than 15,000 miles per hour, to the US Army Space and Missile Defence Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Defence test site at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

A video shows the launch of the Minuteman III missile test.

At 12:01am on May 21, 2025, the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command launched an LGM-30G “Minuteman III” Unarmed Nuclear-Capable Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) equipped with a single Mark-21 High Fidelity Re-Entry Vehicle from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.… pic.twitter.com/GaO0tb49bu

— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) May 21, 2025

General Thomas Bussiere, commander of the US Global Strike Command, in a statement, said, "This ICBM test launch underscores the strength of the nation's nuclear deterrent and the readiness of the ICBM leg of the triad."

He added, "This powerful safeguard is maintained by dedicated Airmen - missileers, defenders, helicopter operators and the teams who supports them - who ensure the security of the nation and its allies."

The US military also clarified that the missile launch test was routine and "not a response to current world events".

The Minuteman III nuclear-capable missile is equipped with a single Mark-21 high-fidelity re-entry vehicle - which would typically contain a nuclear payload if it were launched operationally. It has been test-launched many times in the past - even moments before Trump declared his Presidential victory in November 2024.

The Minuteman is a 1970-era program that the Air Force plans to replace with the Sentinel system. "Until full capability is achieved, the Air Force is committed to ensuring Minuteman III remains a viable deterrent," it said.

Donald Trump's 'Golden Dome' Plans

Trump on Tuesday announced an initial $25 billion in funding for 'Golden Dome' - a nationwide missile defense system - saying its eventual cost would be about $175 billion. He wants a system that can defend against a wide array of enemy weapons, from intercontinental ballistic missiles to hypersonic and cruise missiles and drones.

The US President wants the system ready in about three years, or as he nears the end of his second term in office.

However, his plans are facing significant technical and political challenges.

"The main challenges will be cost, the defense industrial base, and political will. They can all be overcome, but it will take focus and prioritisation," an expert said as quoted by news agency AFP.