 US tests nuclear missile. The Minuteman-3 Intercontinental Ballistic Missile ICBM launch on Thursday evening was a test of nuclear deterrent readiness and message for the world, the US Air Force said. The ground-based missile was fired at 11pm Pacific time from the Vandenberg Space Force base in California in a routine activity intended to demonstrate that the US nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective according to the military. The unarmed missile carried a test re-entry vehicle, which splashed down in the vicinity of Kwajalein et al in the Marshall Islands, some 6,800 km away. A test launch displays the heart of our deterrents mission on the world stage, assuring our nation and its allies that our weapons are capable and our airmen are ready and willing to defend peace across the globe at a moment's notice. General Thomas Boussier, the head of the USA Evolobile Strike Command, said in a statement. Colonel Christopher Cruz of the 377th Test and Evaluation Group called the test a visible message of assurance to allies and a demonstration of the redundancy and reliability of the US strategic deterrent. Multiple US outlets pointed out that the launch came just days after North Korea showcased its Wassong 17 ICBM launches and the US Air Force shot down a Chinese spy balloon that flew across North America. Beijing has protested Washington's reaction, insisting that the AeroStack was a weather device pushed off course by the atmospheric winds. The Minuteman III entered into service in the 1970s and makes up the ground-based leg of the US nuclear triad. The Pentagon has clamoured for funding to upgrade the arsenal for years, but Congress has bought at the price tag, estimated to be in the trillions of dollars. A random missile is chosen for a test firing every few months. In what the US military calls a glory trip. On several occasions, however, the tests have been rescheduled to reduce tensions, such as in August 2022 after China reacted to the provocative visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to Taiwan. At other times, the US carries out missile tests to send a message. Last November, the Air Force used a cargo plane to deploy a cruise missile in northern Norway, intended as a signal to nearby Russia.