The U.S. Air Force launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile at 1:13 a.m. Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday.The Minuteman III took off from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, with the base confirming the test of the Air Force Global Strike Command weapon.According to Farrah Kaufmann with the base’s public affairs team, the ICBM was equipped with three test reentry vehicles, and the weapon traveled 4,200 miles or 6,760 km at more than 20 Mach to a test range at the Kwajalein Atoll near the Marshall Islands.The launch was planned to verify the effectiveness and readiness of the missile system and U.S. nuclear forces, Ryder said. “The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the security and effectiveness of the nation’s nuclear deterrent.”In this video Defense Updates analyzes why 50 year old American Minuteman III is still sending shivers down the spine of rivals ?#DefenseUpdates #MinutemanIII #usmilitarypower