During the sixth day of the war in the Middle East, the United States had test launched its nuclear Capable Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, which is commonly referred to as the ‘doomsday missile’ because of its very destructive nature. The Air Force Global Strike Command launched the unarmed missile late on Tuesday night at the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California and was armed with two test re entry vehicles. The US Space Force statement confirmed that the missile test vehicle GT-255 was an old routine evaluation programme that did not have any official connection with the current dispute with Iran even as the tension in the region persists.
What Is Minuteman III? US Tests Nuclear-Capable ‘Doomsday Missile’ As War Against Iran Enters Sixth Day Today
The Minuteman III was able to travel thousands of miles and then hit the allocated impact zone off the west central pacific ocean near the Marshall Islands. Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, the commander of the 576th flight test squadron stated that the launch enabled officials to test the performance of specific parts of the missile system. She further provided that intercontinental ballistic missile testing in diverse profiles of missions enhances the general preparedness of the intercontinental missiles fleet and sustains the terrestrial component of the nuclear triad of America. Minuteman III has an approximate range of 6,000 miles and is able to move at a speed of over 15,000 miles per hour thus being able to target targets on other continents in minutes. It can carry warheads that are much stronger than the atomic bomb that was used on Hiroshima.
Iran-US war
The test was accompanied by an acute aggravation of the struggle in the Middle East. Thursday saw another Iranian missile offensive strike Israel, causing sirens of air raids and causing millions of people to flee to bomb shelters in big cities. The state of Washington on its part failed to curtail US military intervention as a senate resolution was voted down that would have obligated the congress to give an explicit authorisation to carry out additional strikes against Iran. The vote was lost resoundingly with the majority party members opposing the action and the president Donald Trump retained the right to go to war. As the missile volleys continue, the naval tussles grow and diplomatic initiatives standstill, the conflict does not seem to reduce at all, although the United States promotes the preparedness of its strategic deterring forces.
