Link has a video of the launch...

https://x.com/sentdefender/status/1925237190235394291

This message has been edited. Last edited by: HRK,

Congrats to the AFGSC! I'd dispute that this was a message to Russia, more a message to Russia's proxies, India, Iran, Yemen, etc. abd, of course, China.

I wonder how long that bird had been in the ground? A tribute to our engineers and maintenance personnel that it worked right out of the box (undoubtedly with a thorough pre-flight)!

I'm sure there would be safety concerns launching over CONUS, but it would be neat to launch one straight from ND or WY. The equivalent of "cold bore from the holster".

quote:

Originally posted by MNSIG:
I'm sure there would be safety concerns launching over CONUS, but it would be neat to launch one straight from ND or WY. The equivalent of "cold bore from the holster".

They did once, from a silo near Ellsworth AFB SD. It was limited to travel only a few miles.

"To prove the ability of Minuteman crews and the missiles, McNamara then approved "Project Long Life," a series of operational tests hosted by Ellsworth Air Force Base. The program called for a realistic test of the Minuteman IB system through short-range base launches of three modified ICBMs. The first test missile, loaded with enough propellant for a seven-second flight and a range of approximately two miles, was launched from Launch Facility (LF) November-02 on 1 March 1965 at Ellsworth and was the only Minuteman missile ever launched from an operational silo. "Project Long Life" demonstrated the ability of SAC's missile crews to actually launch Minuteman ICBMs and marked an important moment in the history of the Minuteman project..."

Complete article:

https://www.nps.gov/parkhistor...oks/mimi/hrs2-2a.htm

Behind the Scenes of a Minuteman ICBM Launch with Three Test Warheads
Nov. 6, 2024 | By Chris Gordon

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif.—The U.S. launched a Minuteman III missile here at 11:01 p.m. Pacific Time on Nov. 5., in an important test of the weapon’s ability to strike its targets with multiple warheads.

The Minuteman III missiles that form a critical leg of the U.S. nuclear triad each carry one nuclear-armed reentry vehicle. But the missile that was tested carried three test warheads.

The ICBM test was controlled by an airborne command post in a test of the U.S. ability to launch its nuclear deterrent from a survivable platform.

Continued... https://www.airandspaceforces....20times%20per%20year.