Malmstrom missile selected for Wednesday's ICBM test launch in California

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was transported from Malmstrom Air Force Base months ago for a scheduled test launch on Wednesday. 

The test launch was planned years ago and is not in response to world events, Air Force Global Strike Command said. The last scheduled test launch also involved Malmstrom AFB and happened in March. 

The missile was launched, unarmed, from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California at 12:01 a.m. on Wednesday.

General S.L. Davis, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, said the test launch is important for national security. 

“This launch verifies the health and readiness of our ICBM force, confirming the capability of every component of the ICBM enterprise, from our operators to the weapon system itself, to execute the mission,” he said.

The test was designated GT 256. The previous test was designated GT 255. Announcements about both tests by Air Force Global Strike Command talked about how the tests are important for gathering data.

“These operational tests are the most visible and vital way we verify the readiness of our systems, Col. Dustin Harmon, the 377th Test and Evaluation Group commander said. “More importantly, they are a direct reflection of the unmatched skill and dedication of the Airmen in our missile community who ensure this critical mission is a success every single day.”

The end of Air Force Global Strike Command’s announcement about the GT256 test said the cycle of testing helped the Air Force transition toward the LGM-35A Sentinel, a proposed intercontinental ballistic missile system that is expected to replace the Minuteman III system in the U.S. nuclear force structure.

The U.S. Congress website said the Department of Defense requested $4.6 billion for the Sentinel program for the FY 2027 Program. The program is working with Utah-based contractor Northrop Grumman Corporation on the project, government paperwork says. 

Malmstrom AFB is home to one of the three missile wings that secure, operate and maintain the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile program.