The Air Force will launch an unarmed missile from the Vandenberg Space Force Base overnight to prove the preparation of the U.S. nuclear arsenal.
A clear sky will make Southern California sights easy to see. Residents of Oregon and Nevada, as well as western regions of Utah, Arizona and Mexico should also be able to spot missile stripes in the sky.
The Militia III intercontinental ballistic missile is scheduled to be launched from the Santa Barbara County base from 11:01 p.m. to 5:01 a.m. Wednesday. According to the Air Force Global Strike Command, the goal is to “prove the preparation of the U.S. nuclear force and provide confidence in the deadly and effective nature of the national nuclear deterrence.”
According to the Air Force, the militia is a powerful weapon capable of carrying three nuclear warheads that can reach independent targets of more than 6,000 miles. It extends from the base of Vandenberg to the Arctic, to the closest South Pole of the Antarctic, to the west to the Philippines, and to Spain.
At its peak speed, militia can travel 15,000 mph, about 25 times the rate of a typical passenger plane and almost 70 times faster than the fastest Ferrari ever. It is 59.9 feet long and weighs about 80,000 pounds.
About 30 minutes after launch, the US ballistic missile can reach global targets. In the first three minutes, three solid-fuel rocket motors powered the missile's flight. The missile then follows a curved trajectory, releasing the warhead intermediate route and sending it to the target.
According to the Air Force, routine tests of missiles on Tuesday night were scheduled for several years and will be used to verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system. Under its international agreement, the United States has notified Russia and more than 140 countries, which are the Hague Code of Conduct, against the proliferation of planned ballistic missiles.
The last routine test was a 4,200-mile militia launched from Vandenberg base on November 5. It landed at the Ronald Reagan ballistic missile defense test site of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command, where researchers used flight data to evaluate system performance.
“These tests prove what the forward pilot will be in the case of the president's call,” General Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, said in a statement released in November. “Airborne launch verifies the survivability of our intercontinental ballistic missiles [intercontinental ballistic missiles]This is our country’s strategic support for defense and defense of allies and partners. ”
The Air Force currently uses 400 Militia III missiles at bases in Wyoming, Montana and North Dakota. These missiles have been the midstream pillars of the U.S. nuclear weapons force since the 1970s, and most of the system's infrastructure still uses original equipment.
Starting from 2029, the Air Force intends to gradually replace the Militia III with the arsenal of the modern LG-35A Sentinel missiles. Before achieving the full capacity of Sentinel missiles by the mid-2030s, the Air Force said it was committed to ensuring that the Militia III remains a viable deterrent.
According to data collected by the American Federation of Scientists, the United States currently owns the world's second largest nuclear weapon, with about 5,040 warheads. Russia has the largest inventory, with about 5,580 warheads.
These two superpowers are followed by China, with about 500 warheads, 290 in France and 225 in Britain.
