'Doomsday' Missile: All About Minuteman III Nuclear Capable ICBM Test Fired By US Amid Escalating Iran War
US military test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile on Tuesday night. The nuclear-capable LGM 30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), popularly knows as 'Doomsday' missile, was test launched amidst growing tension in Middle East after US-Israel launched ‘Operation Epic Fury’ against Iran.
- World News
- 2 min read
California: The military of United States of America on Tuesday night test-fired an intercontinental ballistic missile amidst the escalating war with Iran. The LGM 30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), popularly knows as the 'Doomsday' missile, was test-fired from Vandenberg Space Base near Santa Barbara in California.
The test comes amidst the growing tension in Middle East after the US and Israel launched ‘Operation Epic Fury’ against the Islamic Republic of Iran. However, the US Air Force claimed that it was not in response to world events and was scheduled years ago. It added that the purpose of the programme was to validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system.
“It is a key component of a data-driven program that has been in place for decades, involving over 300 similar tests designed to validate the performance of the weapon system. The data collected from these routine tests is essential for ongoing and future force development,” the US Air Force said in a statement.
During the test, the ICBM's two reentry vehicles traveled thousands of miles to a pre-determined target at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
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What Is The ‘Doomsday’ Missile?
The LGM 30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is a nuclear-capable missile. The ‘Doomsday’ missile, first deployed in 1972, is a land-based weapon controlled by the Air Force Global Strike Command. The US presently has 400 Minuteman III missiles spread across the country.
The 'Doomsday' missile, which has never been used in an actual war, can travel 6,000 miles at a speed of more than 15,000 mph. As per US media, it can carry nuclear warheads 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.
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Israel Iran War
The conflict in the Middle East started after the United State of America and Israel launched a joint attack on Iran on Saturday under ‘Operation Epic Fury’. Iran retaliated and launched attacks on US military bases in the Middle East. The war escalated as Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was assassinated in the airstrikes. Several other key Iranian leaders were also killed.
Hezbollah in Lebanon has also joined the war. At least 1,230 people in Iran, over 100 in Lebanon and around a dozen in Israel have been killed in the ongoing war.