The test was to ensure the “nuclear deterrent remains safe, secure, reliable, and effective in deterring 21st-century threats and reassuring our allies.”

Californians were able to look to the sky to see an unarmed missile as the Air Force launched the Minuteman III from Vandenberg base.

The U.S. Air Force demonstrated the nation's nuclear readiness by launching an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early Wednesday morning.

The Air Force must continue maintaining Minuteman III nuclear missiles longer than expected, with the Sentinel successor requiring a major restructuring.

The U.S. Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday in a show of nuclear strength. The missile traveled 4,