LONG-RANGE MISSILE A HIT
AN UNARMED Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California early Wednesday in a test of the weapon system that is part of the U.S. nuclear force. The missile blasted off from a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 12:03 a.m. and hit a target approximately 4,200 miles away at Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said. “Tonight’s launch was an important demonstration of our nation’s nuclear deterrent capability,” Col. John Moss, commander of Vandenberg’s 30th Space Wing, said in a statement. “Test launches like this one are vital to validating the effectiveness and readiness of our operational nuclear systems, so it is critical that they are successful.” The test comes amid U.S. tensions with North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs and drew criticism from the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation. President Trump has in recent weeks ordered an aircraft carrier and other Navy vessels into the waters near North Korea in a show of force to deter Pyongyang, which on Tuesday conducted large-scale, live-fire artillery drills.