US Test-Fires Minuteman III Missiles Amid Call for Modernization of Nuclear Arsena

The U.S. military conducted test launches of two unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles this week, emphasizing that these tests were not influenced by current global events. The Air Force Global Strike Command, which oversees part of the United States' nuclear triad, carried out the tests on June 4 and June 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.

Defense News has reached out to confirm the success of these tests. In the June 4 announcement, Col. Chris Cruise, head of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group, highlighted the importance of the U.S. nuclear program for global security, stating that the test demonstrated the readiness and reliability of the ICBM system and underscored the continuous alert status maintained by U.S. forces.

The missiles' reentry vehicles traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Republic of the Marshall Islands. These reentry vehicles, which carry nuclear warheads, are designed to separate from the missile, travel through space, and reenter the Earth’s atmosphere to reach their targets.

Initially operational in the 1970s and intended for a decade of use, the Minuteman III ICBM system remains in service nearly 50 years later and will continue until the 2030s, according to Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., chair of the House Armed Services Committee. Earlier in the month, the Air Force had to intentionally destroy an unarmed ICBM during a test due to an anomaly.

Rep. Rogers emphasized the need to modernize the aging nuclear deterrent, advocating for the replacement of the Minuteman III and other nuclear systems with modern technology. The Air Force is developing a new ICBM, named Sentinel, though the program faces delays and cost overruns, with the first test flight now scheduled for February 2026.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Rep. John Garamendi of California have expressed concerns over the Air Force’s inconsistent timeline for the Sentinel program, noting that while the Minuteman III is expected to remain viable until the mid-2030s, the Air Force plans to maintain it for 15 to 20 more years as the Sentinel is phased in. The Minuteman III will thus be relied upon until at least 2036.