The United States fired an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile into the Pacific Ocean as an implicit signal of nuclear readiness to North Korea and China.
Though Air Force officials said in a statement that the launch was not linked to “world events,” the timing comes during a period of heightened tensions with North Korea and China. Nearly a week prior, the U.S. shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon after it had flown across the continental U.S., ratcheting up tensions between the two major powers. Meanwhile, North Korea has launched a record number of ICBMs into the sea in recent years, signaling its increased nuclear capabilities.
NORTH KOREA SHOWCASES MISSILES DESIGNED TO REACH THE US AT MASSIVE MILITARY PARADE
“A test launch displays the heart of our deterrence mission on the world’s stage, assuring our nation and its allies that our weapons are capable and our Airmen are ready and willing to defend peace across the globe at a moment’s notice,” Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, the head of Air Force Global Strike Command, was quoted as saying.
“This launch showcases the redundancy and reliability of our strategic deterrence systems while sending a visible message of assurance to allies,” Col. Christopher Cruise, 377th Test and Evaluation Group commander, said. “This multilateral team reflects the precision and professionalism of our command, and our joint partners.”
The missile was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California late Thursday night, local time. It traveled roughly 4,200 miles, falling into the sea around Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The statement also noted that such launches have been carried out nearly 300 times before.
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On Wednesday, North Korea unveiled enough ICBMs to overwhelm U.S. missile defenses in the continental U.S conceivably.
