On Wednesday, March 4, 2026, the Air Force Global Strike Command (AFSTRAT-AIR) announced that on March 3 at 9:01 p.m. Pacific Time, an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California as part of a test designated GT 255. The test had been planned in advance and is not related to current global events.
Photo: Staff Sgt. Joshua LeRoi, AFSTRAT-AIR
The missile carried two training warheads in a MIRV (Multiple Independently Targetable Reentry Vehicle) configuration.
The launch is part of a series of routine and periodic activities that are essential for assessing and validating the capabilities of the LGM-30G Minuteman III. These tests, conducted under strict safety protocols, allow Air Force Global Strike Command to collect valuable data. To date, more than 300 such tests have been conducted, including three previous launches last year on November 5, May 21, and February 19.
“GT 255 allowed us to assess the performance of individual components of the missile system,” said Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron. “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.”
“It is critical to test all aspects of our ICBM force, including our ability to deliver multiple, independently targeted payloads with absolute precision,” said Gen. S.L. Davis, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command. “This test validates the intricate synchronization of the weapon system, from the initial launch sequence to the flawless deployment of each reentry vehicle.”
The training warheads traveled a distance of approximately 6,762 km (4,200 miles) and, as planned, struck their targets at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The test allows engineers and weapons experts from the 377th Test and Evaluation Group of the U.S. Air Force to collect invaluable data on the accuracy and reliability of the ballistic missile, verifying whether every element of the weapons system performs as designed.
The data gathered during test launches is then shared with a wide range of stakeholders, including the United States Department of Defense, the United States Department of Energy, and Air Force Global Strike Command, in order to conduct a comprehensive assessment of force development. The primary objective of the program is to evaluate the operational capability of the LGM-30G Minuteman III and ensure that the United States maintains a technically sound and reliable weapons system.
The missile belonged to the 91st Missile Wing of the United States Air Force based at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota and provided direct support for the launch. However, the ground-based task force overseeing the test also included personnel from the two other missile wings: the 90th Missile Wing from F. E. Warren Air Force Base (Wyoming) and the 341st Missile Wing from Malmstrom Air Force Base (Montana).
The current U.S. land-based component of the nuclear deterrent consists of 449 LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles deployed at the above-mentioned bases (one silo was deactivated in the fall of last year as part of preparations for testing the next-generation LGM-35A Sentinel).
The LGM-30G Minuteman III missiles are armed with W87-0/Mk-21 thermonuclear warheads with a yield of 300 kilotons and W78/Mk-12A warheads with a yield of 335–350 kilotons. Currently, upgraded W87-1/Mk-21A warheads with a yield of 475 kilotons are being introduced to replace the W78/Mk-12A.
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