As the war in the Middle East entered its sixth day, the US carried out a test launch of its nuclear-capable Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. Nicknamed the “doomsday missile”, the Minuteman III can carry warheads up to 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima.
On Tuesday night, the Air Force Global Strike Command launched the unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, equipped with two test re-entry vehicles, the US Space Force said in a statement.
The missile, identified by the US Space Force as test vehicle GT-255, was launched as part of a long-standing routine evaluation programme and was not officially linked to the ongoing conflict, the statement added.
It successfully travelled thousands of miles before striking its designated impact area near the Marshall Islands in the west-central Pacific Ocean.
“GT 255 allowed us to assess the performance of individual components of the missile system,” said Lt. Col. Karrie Wray, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander. “By continually assessing varying mission profiles, we are able to enhance the performance of the entire ICBM fleet, ensuring the maximum level of readiness for the land-based leg of the nation’s nuclear triad.”
The Minuteman III, a cornerstone of the US’s strategic arsenal, has a range of roughly 6,000 miles and can travel at speeds exceeding 15,000 miles per hour, enabling it to reach targets across continents within minutes.
Tuesday night’s test formed part of a “long-running, data-driven evaluation programme that has included more than 300 similar launches over several decades to verify the reliability, accuracy and readiness of the land-based nuclear deterrent,” the US Space Force said.
A previous Minuteman III test was carried out in November 2025 amid renewed debate in Washington over nuclear preparedness.
WHY IS IT CALLED ‘DOOMSDAY’ MISSILE
Nicknamed the “doomsday missile,” the Minuteman III represents one of the most destructive weapons in the US’s nuclear arsenal. The ICBM is capable of carrying nuclear warheads up to 20 times more powerful than the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima, underscoring the catastrophic scale of damage it could unleash in a nuclear conflict.
The missile earns its ominous nickname because it forms the land-based backbone of the US nuclear triad, built for rapid retaliation in the event of a nuclear attack.
Unlike earlier systems, the Minuteman III runs on solid fuel, allowing it to remain on constant high alert and be launched within minutes from underground silos.
As an ICBM, it can travel thousands of miles across continents at hypersonic speeds, striking targets almost anywhere on the planet. It can also cdeploy multiple independently targetable re-entry vehicles (MIRVs), enabling a single missile to strike several targets in one launch.
IRAN WAR ENTERS 6TH DAY
As the war entered its sixth day, Iran on Thursday launched a wave of missiles toward Israel, sending millions scrambling into bomb shelters and air raid sirens echoing across major cities. The barrage came just hours after efforts in the US to rein in Washington’s air campaign against Iran were blocked in the Senate.
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Republican lawmakers voted down a resolution that sought to halt the air assault and require explicit congressional authorisation for further military action.
The measure failed 53–47, largely along party lines, effectively leaving President Donald Trump’s war powers intact as the conflict widens across the Middle East.
With missile exchanges intensifying, naval engagements expanding and diplomatic efforts faltering, the war shows little sign of abating — even as the US signals the continued readiness of its strategic deterrent.
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