The United States will test the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile just hours after the polls close on presidential election day, writes the Daily Mail.
A statement from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California says the launch is scheduled for the period from 11:01 p.m. Nov. 5 to 5:01 p.m. November, Moscow time).
The military said the goal was the need to “demonstrate the readiness of U.S. nuclear forces and provide confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the country’s nuclear deterrent.”
This is a routine test, which US authorities notified Russia in accordance with the Hague Code (International Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation) and bilateral agreements, the report notes. Despite this, writes the Daily Mail, some Americans have expressed concern that the launch will occur so soon after the vote.
During the flight, which will last 22 minutes, the rocket is expected to fly 6,759 km to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, RBC clarifies.
