An Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at 11:49 Pacific Standard Time Feb. 23, 2021, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California. ICBM test launches demonstrate the U.S. nuclear enterprise is safe, secure, effective and ready to defend the United States and its allies. ICBMs provide the U.S. and its allies the necessary deterrent capability to maintain freedom to operate and navigate globally in accordance with international laws and norms. More