Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Test Fails

In contrast to North Korean propaganda which often reports the success of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) tests, there is the latest news coming from the country of North Korea's arch enemy, namely the United States stating that it has experienced failure in the LGM-30 ICBM test. Minuteman III.

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Quoted from airandspaceforces.com (3/11/2023), the Minuteman III ICBM test (without warhead) failed on November 1 2023 at Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. There was no specific mention of the cause of the failure of the ballistic missile test, only that it was an anomaly.

The failure of the Minuteman III ICBM test immediately caused new concerns about the readiness of the land-based nuclear weapons arsenal in the United States.

“The Minuteman III ICBM has served us well over the years and we will continue to rely on it to prevent nuclear war well into the 2030s, but this week's test was a stark reminder that nothing lasts forever,” said Republican Senator Mike Rogers. , who is also Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

Meanwhile the US Air Force is investigating to determine the problem of this test failure. Tim Ryan, Senior Fellow at the Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies, said that he does not believe the anomaly is related to the age of the Minuteman system, suggesting that it could be caused by a variety of other reasons.

An anomaly can represent any deviation or departure from what was projected during the missile launch and testing process, which itself all goes through strict standards and procedures.

Ryan stressed that Minuteman III technology remains reliable, as proven through regular flight tests conducted several times a year. The Minuteman III missile has a launch range ranging from 13,000 to 15,000 kilometers, allowing it to hit targets in various locations around the world. The Minuteman III missile reaches very high speeds during its boost phase, reaching speeds of Mach 23.

Weighing around 16,330 kilograms, this Boeing-produced ICBM was launched from a ground launch base located in the United States. Minuteman III launch bases are scattered in several locations across the country, primarily in the Great Plains region and around military bases. These missiles are stored in underground launch silos.

Each Minuteman III launch silo can accommodate one Minuteman III missile. When ordered to launch, the silo would open its doors, and the missile would be fired into the air to reach its target overseas. The Minuteman III missile has the capability to hit targets in various locations around the world.

The Pentagon and the United States Armed Forces are responsible for the operation and maintenance of the Minuteman III launch base, as well as the use of this missile as part of the US Nuclear Triad. 

The Minuteman III is part of the United States' Nuclear Triad along with ballistic missile-armed nuclear submarines and strategic bombers. They are an important component of the United States' nuclear defense system.

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In the future, the Minuteman III will be replaced by the Sentinel missile, which US officials say will be easier to maintain and upgrade. The Pentagon will reportedly accelerate development of Sentinel to meet operational goals by September 2030.