U.S. launches missile following China tensions

The Pentagon launched an intercontinental ballistic missile less than two weeks after delaying the test owing to heightened tensions with China over House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s trip to Taiwan.

Tuesday, the Air Force announced the launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California. To reach Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, the re-entry vehicle traveled nearly 4,200 kilometers.

The test was postponed in the days after Pelosi’s travel to Taiwan; in response to her visit, China announced live-fire operations in the seas around the island.

“We do not believe it is in our interests, Taiwan’s interests, or the region’s interests to allow tensions to escalate further,” National Security Council Coordinator for Strategic Communications John Kirby said when announcing the decision to postpone the Minuteman III ICBM test scheduled for this week.

In March, the Pentagon postponed an ICBM test to prevent nuclear tensions with Russia after its invasion of Ukraine, and then canceled the test a few weeks later for the same reason.

The Air Force said that Tuesday’s test was regular and unrelated to current global developments.

Col. Chris Cruise, commander of the 576th Flight Test Squadron, said in a statement, “This planned test launch demonstrates how our nation’s ICBM fleet demonstrates preparedness and dependability of the weapon system.”