The military will mark the new fiscal year with an operational test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile at Vandenberg Air Force Base.
Liftoff of the three-stage weapon is scheduled between 1:13 and 7:13 a.m. Wednesday.
Missile tests typically aim to occur at the opening of the six-hour launch window, but technical troubles or unfavorable weather at Vandenberg or downrange can cause delays.
Upon blastoff, the military intends to track the weapon system’s mock warhead as it travels to a predetermined target, typically more than 4,200 miles away in the central Pacific Ocean’s Kwajalein Atoll.
“The purpose of the ICBM test launch program is to validate and verify the effectiveness, readiness and accuracy of the weapon system,” according to Air Force Global Strike Command.
The three-stage weapon can travel up to 6,000 miles and reaches speeds of 15,000 mph at burnout.
The nation’s current ICBM force consists of 400 Minuteman III missiles located at the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren AFB, Wyoming; the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Montana; and the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, North Dakota.
This week’s test launch will occur hours into the new federal fiscal year which begins on Tuesday.
The Air Force previously launched a pair of Minuteman III missiles on different days in May from Vandenberg.
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at jscully@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.