US Air Force tests Minuteman III missile

April 2, 2008 At 08:01 GMT (01:01 local time) this morning, the United States Air Force launched a missile on a test mission from Launch Facility 09 at  in California. Due to a large number of delays, this is the first time that a Minuteman missile has conducted an operational test in over a year.

The missile flew 6,759 kilometres (4,200 miles) downrange on a trajectory, to the  test site in the Marshall Islands. The reached has not yet been released, however typical Minuteman launches reach between 1,000 and 1,300km. The mission, which was designated GT-196GM, or "Glory Trip 196GM", was conducted to test the missile's operational capabilities. The missile flew with a single MK.21 re-entry vehicle, which would be used to carry a nuclear warhead if the missile were launched in hostile circumstances.

The next operational test of a Minuteman III is scheduled for early August.