On March 3, 2026, an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is operationally test-launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. ICBM test launches help ensure the readiness, reliability, and effectiveness of the U.S. ICBM force. [U.S. Space Force Photo: Joshua LeRoy] The United States conducted a test launch of a Minuteman III ballistic missile off the coast of California amid ongoing conflict in Iran.

The Minuteman III missile, armed with a nuclear warhead 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, was launched at 11 p.m. on the 3rd (local time) from Vandenberg Space Force Base near Santa Barbara.

According to the Space Force, the unarmed rocket, designated GT 254, struck a target near the Marshall Islands in the central Pacific Ocean.

The missile that was test-launched struck a target near the Marshall Islands.

The War Department stated that the operation was "routine" and had been planned years in advance. 

The U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command announced that the missile was launched "to verify effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy."

In a press release, Lt. Col. Kerry Ray, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, said, "This allowed us to evaluate the performance of individual components of the missile system."

This intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test launch occurred just days after the United States and Israel attacked Iran, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei in Tehran.

The missile can travel over 6,000 miles at speeds exceeding 15,000 miles per hour, capable of striking anywhere in the world. 

President Trump told the New York Post on Monday, "The big one is coming." 

At the time, the New York Post attempted to interpret "the big one" as an invasion by ground troops. However, it appears President Trump opted to encourage Kurdish militias to conduct ground operations in Iran rather than deploy U.S. forces on the ground.

On March 3, 2026, an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is operationally test-launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. ICBM test launches help ensure the readiness, reliability, and effectiveness of the U.S. ICBM force. [U.S. Space Force Photo: Joshua LeRoy]
U.S. NNP=Reporter Sung Ku Hong / Special Correspondent NNP info@newsandpost.com