MINUTEMAN III TEST LAUNCH SHOWCASES READINESS OF U.S. NUCLEAR FORCE'S SAFE, EFFECTIVE DETERRENT 

A team of Air force Global Strike Command Airmen launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry at 11:01 PM Pacific Standard Time, Feb. 9 from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California.
This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities intended to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter twenty-first century threats and reassure our allies. Such tests have occurred over 300 times before and this test is not the result of current world events.