In what Vandenberg Space Force Base states is a launch scheduled years in advance, Election Night may see a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile take off under the aegis of Air Force Global Strike Command. The flight, which tests operational readiness, will verify the effectiveness and accuracy of the ICBM weapons system, which is to head for the Marshall Islands, a news release from the base stated.
Under Hague Code of Conduct transparency obligations, the Russian government received advance notification of the launch. The missile is unarmed and emits minimal sonic booms, if any. The launch window runs from 11 p.m. Tuesday through to 5 a.m. Wednesday morning, Pacific time.
