US Air Force test launches Minuteman missile from California

A fiery streak lit up the California sky as the US Air Force conducted an early morning test of an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile.

The Air Force Global Strike Command says the missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base northwest of Los Angeles at 2:42 a.m. Wednesday.

The ICBM’s re-entry vehicle traveled approximately 6,759 kilometers (4,200 miles) over the Pacific to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

This photo provided by Vandenberg Air Force Base shows an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California (Airman 1st Class Aubree Milks/Vandenberg Air Force Base via AP)

An Air Force statement says such tests are scheduled years in advance to verify the accuracy and reliability of the weapon system, and are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions.

The test was conducted by a team from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.

— AP