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Air Force Global Strike Command airmen 

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conducted an operational test launch of 

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an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental 

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ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space 

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Force Base , California , March 3rd to 

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demonstrate the readiness of the US 

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nuclear forces and provide confidence 

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in the lethality and effectiveness of 

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the nation's nuclear deterrent . This 

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launch designated GT 255 was scheduled 

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years ago and is not in response to 

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world events . It is a key component of 

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a data-driven program that has been in 

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place for decades involving over 300 

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similar tests designed to validate the 

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performance of the weapon system . The 

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data collected from these routine tests 

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is essential for ongoing and future 

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force development . Today's test launch 

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used a randomly selected 

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intercontinental ballistic missile 

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pulled from Minot Air Force Base , 

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North Dakota . The missile was 

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transported more than 1300 miles and 

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reassembled at Vandenberg Space Force 

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Base , California . The ICBM was 

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equipped with multiple targetable 

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reentry vehicles and traveled 

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approximately 4200 miles at a speed of 

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more than 15,000 MPH to a test range 

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near the Quadrain Atoll in the Marshall 

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Islands . The ICBM test and evaluation 

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program helps validate the reliability 

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of the nuclear umbrella our allies and 

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partners rely on , eliminating the need 

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to obtain their own nuclear weapons to 

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counter potential adversaries . The 

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56-year-old Minuteman 3 is based in 

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Colorado , Montana , Nebraska , North 

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Dakota , and Wyoming and will be 

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replaced by the LGM 35A Sentinel . 

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Reporting from Vandenberg Space Force 

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Base , I'm Senior Airman Kevin 

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Hernandez .