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.
The 22-minute flight is expected to take the rocket 6,759 kilometers to Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean.
The United States tests the Minuteman III several times a year. Two launches of non-nuclear-tipped missiles took place in June, as announced in advance. In early fall, the military conducted a simulated electronic launch of the Minuteman III at Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska, RBC clarifies.
