&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "US test-fires Minuteman III ‘Doomsday’ nuclear missile from California, amid Iran war : What is the Minuteman III?")
The US test-fired the nuclear-capable LGM 30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), also known as the Doomsday missile, from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. The test comes as the war with Iran entered its sixth day. The Minuteman III is considered to be one of the most powerful missiles in the US arsenal. According to officials, the test was to assess the operational readiness of the land-based nuclear deterrent. It carried out tests for two test reentry vehicles.
"GT 255 allowed us to assess the performance of individual components of the missile system…By continually assessing varying mission profiles, we are able to enhance the performance of the entire ICBM fleet, ensuring the maximum level of readiness for the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad,” said Karrie Wray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron.
What is the LGM 30G Minuteman III? Why is it called the Doomsday Missile?
LGM 30G Minuteman III is a strategic weapon system that uses an intercontinental-range ballistic missile. These are usually stationed at silos and monitored by a control centre across Montana, North Dakota, and Wyoming. These missiles are usually developed by Boeing, and each costs around $34.6 million. They have been in service since 1970 with the US Army. The Minuteman III weighs around 37 kilos, has a diameter of 5.5 feet, a range of up to 6000 miles and reaches around Mach 23 during burnout. The US have 400 such missiles located at various silos. The W-87 variant is capable of carrying a nuclear warhead which is at least 20 times more powerful than the one dropped in Nagasaki. The sheer scale of its destruction is magnanimous, thus the name Doomsday. Minuteman III, along with Ohio-class ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs) armed with Trident II D5 missiles, B-52H Stratofortress and B-2 Spirit bombers with missile systems like AGM-86B Air Launched Cruise Missile, form the strategic US nuclear triad.
