The United States Air Force successfully conducted an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California late Tuesday, March 3, 2026. Designated “Glory Trip 255,” the missile was equipped with two test reentry vehicles that traveled approximately 4,200 miles across the Pacific Ocean before hitting a predetermined target at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. While Air Force Global Strike Command emphasized that the launch was a routine event “scheduled years in advance” and not a response to current world events, the timing has drawn significant international attention as it coincides with the fifth day of a major joint U.S.-Israeli military offensive against Iran. This conflict, which has seen strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and naval assets, follows the reported death of Iran’s Supreme Leader and subsequent retaliatory missile barrages across the Middle East. General S.L. Davis, commander of the Global Strike Command, stated that the test validated the “intricate synchronization” and precision of the nation’s land-based nuclear triad, ensuring that the U.S. long-range strike capability remains a “proven, reliable, and lethal force.” As the Minuteman III—often dubbed the “doomsday missile” due to its role in nuclear deterrence—nears the end of its original service life, these evaluations remain critical to maintaining strategic readiness while development continues on its successor, the LGM-35A Sentinel.
U.S. Test-Fires ‘Doomsday’ ICBM From California Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
