WASHINGTON – The US military said Tuesday that it conducted a test of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile that had been delayed to prevent an escalation of tension with Beijing during China’s show of force near Taiwan earlier in the day. of this month.
China deployed dozens of planes and fired missiles into the Taiwan Strait after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a trip to the island, which Beijing considers part of her territory.
The test demonstrated “the readiness of US nuclear forces and provides confidence in the lethality and effectiveness of the country’s nuclear deterrent,” according to a US military statement.
Minuteman III traveled about 6,760 kilometers and was launched from the Vandenberg Space Force Base in California.
The evidence suggests that Washington is less concerned about the escalation of the situation around Taiwan, at least in the short term.
The administration of President Joe Biden has said it will continue to carry out routine air and naval operations in the Taiwan Strait in the coming weeks.
The nuclear-capable Minuteman III, made by Boeing Co., is key to the US military’s strategic arsenal. The missile has a range of more than 6,000 miles and can travel at about 15,000 miles per hour.
The missiles are scattered in reinforced underground silos operated by launch teams.