The US military test-fired the "Minuteman III" intercontinental ballistic missile without carrying a warhead.

The US Air Force Global Strike Command conducted a test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California on the 5th. According to a statement released by the US Air Force, the operators initiated the test launch using the airborne launch control system on an E-6B plane. The missile flew approximately 4200 miles to a US military test site in the Marshall Islands after re-entry. The test was conducted to evaluate the reliability and operational readiness of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system. According to US media reports, the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was first deployed in the US military in the 1970s, and there are currently about 400 missiles of this type in active service in the United States.