US Test-Fires Minuteman III ICBM Following Trump's Order to Resume Nuclear Testing

The unarmed rocket landed near the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site. (File)

New Delhi:

The United States conducted a test launch of an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Wednesday, approximately one week after President Donald Trump instructed the Pentagon to immediately resume nuclear weapons testing procedures.

According to an official statement released by the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC), the unarmed Minuteman III ICBM was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base.

The missile traveled across the Pacific before landing in the vicinity of the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site located in the Marshall Islands.

Designated as GT 254, the test was designed to evaluate the reliability, operational readiness, and accuracy of the ICBM system currently in service.

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The AFGSC statement detailed that "A team of AFGSC airmen from the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron employing the Airborne Launch Control System from aboard a US Navy E-6B Mercury aircraft, initiated the launch, testing the effectiveness and continuous availability of the ALCS, a backup command and control system for the ICBM force."

Lieutenant Colonel Karrie Wray, who commands the 576th Flight Test Squadron, emphasized that "GT 254 is not just a launch - it's a comprehensive assessment to verify and validate the ICBM system's ability to perform its critical mission."

Wray further noted, "The data collected during the test is invaluable in ensuring the continued reliability and accuracy of the ICBM weapon system."

On October 30, President Trump directed the Pentagon to recommence nuclear weapons testing after a 33-year moratorium, a decision widely interpreted as sending a message to nuclear rivals China and Russia.

"Because of other countries' testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our nuclear weapons on an equal basis. That process will begin immediately," Trump announced on Truth Social prior to his scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

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Trump emphasized that testing was necessary to ensure the United States maintained parity with competing nuclear powers.

"With others doing testing, I think it's appropriate that we do also," Trump stated to reporters.

When questioned about whether global nuclear risk was increasing, Trump minimized concerns, assuring that US nuclear stockpiles were "well locked up" while also expressing support for potential denuclearization.

"I'd like to see a denuclearisation because we have so many, and Russia's second and China's third, and China will catch up within four or five years," he remarked.