U.S. Military To Test Hypersonic Nuclear Missile Shortly After Polls Close

The United States military will test a hypersonic nuclear missile hours after polls close on Election Day, Daily Mail reports.

“An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) is scheduled to blast off between 11:01pm and 5:01am PT from California’s Vandenberg Space Force Base,” the outlet writes.

BREAKING – US to test hypersonic nuclear missile tonight just hours after election polls close, Daily Mail reports

— Insider Paper (@TheInsiderPaper) November 5, 2024

🚨#BREAKING: The United States will reportedly conduct a test of a hypersonic nuclear missile tonight, just hours after election polls close. pic.twitter.com/bV0S6o40FX

— R A W S A L E R T S (@rawsalerts) November 5, 2024

Military officials reportedly said the test is ‘routine’ and ‘scheduled years in advance.’

They said the purpose of the test is to show the ‘readiness of nuclear U.S. forces’ and provide ‘confidence in the nation’s nuclear deterrence.’

Daily Mail reports:

ICBM is one of two currently used by America – the other is submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs) that are deployed from underwater submarines.

However, the US’s Titan topped speeds of 16,000mph when it was used from 1963 through 1987.

Titan was capable of traveling to a target more than 6,000 miles away in less than 30 minutes.

But the missile was phased out to make way for more advanced systems such as the MX Peacekeeper that had a similar speed and distance.

ICBM is a vital component of the US military’s nuclear forces, capable of delivering a nuclear payload to targets around the world, but is scheduled to be phased out by 2029 and replaced with the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM.

The US Air Force said that ‘the Sentinel weapon system is the most cost-effective option for maintaining a safe, secure, and effective land-based leg of the nuclear triad and would extend its capabilities through 2075.’

The upcoming weapon will replace the 400 Minuteman III ICBMs currently in service for more than 50 years in Air Force missile fields at F.E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB), Wyoming; Malmstrom AFB, Montana; and Minot AFB, North Dakota.

The California base conducted the same test in June.

🇺🇸⚡- UNITED STATES TO TEST HYPERSONIC NUCLEAR MISSILE TONIGHT JUST HOURS AFTER ELECTION POLLS CLOSE. pic.twitter.com/2i6Auy63zl

— Lou Rage (@lifepeptides) November 5, 2024

US to test hypersonic nuclear missile TONIGHT just hours after election polls close – amid growing WWIII fears https://t.co/eDwG9KNFIa pic.twitter.com/1pSIxkWrPV

— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) November 5, 2024

Per Daily Express:

The awesome speed of the US missile will be on display as it thunders through the sky above the Pacific Ocean after the polls shut.

It will travel 4,200 miles from its US base to Kwajalein Atoll, a tiny island in the North Pacific. Despite the distance – which is about the same as the distance between London and New Delhi in India – the journey will take just 22 minutes.

The weapon can reach speeds of over 15,000mph, meaning it could strike any target worldwide in just 30 minutes from launch.