Minot Area Chamber EDC (MACEDC) Task Force 21 led a delegation of North Dakota leaders on a strategic military engagement with Minot Air Force Base (MAFB) and Air Force Global Strike Command (AFGSC) as Airmen and Navy aircrew launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Nov. 5, from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. 

The visit included mission briefs, meeting with military leadership, and the test launch of an ICBM equipped with multiple targetable re-entry vehicles from aboard the Airborne Launch Control System that was pulled from North Dakota’s missile complex and transported to Vandenberg Space Force Base for the test. The North Dakota representatives in attendance included Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller representing the North Dakota Military Commission, Sally Johnson representing N.D. Senator John Hoeven, Minot Air Force Base, state and community leadership. 

This test launch is part of routine and periodic activities intended to demonstrate that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective to deter 21st century threats and reassure our allies. Such tests have occurred over 300 times before, and this test is not the result of current world events. 

“These tests are demonstrative of what Striker Airmen bring to the fight if called by the president,” said Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of AFGSC. “An airborne launch validates the survivability of our ICBMs, which serve as the strategic backstop of our nation’s defense and defense of allies and partners.” 

The ICBM's reentry vehicle traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site located within Republic of the Marshall Islands at the Kwajalein Atoll. Reagan Test Site sensors, including high-fidelity metric and signature radars, as well as optical sensors and telemetry, support the research, development, test and evaluation of America's defense and space programs. For these tests, RTS team members collect radar, optical and telemetry data in the terminal phase of flight to evaluate system performance. 

“RTS is honored to be the nation's only long-range land impact site providing our strategic partners a safe environment and truth in testing for the continued development of the ICBM modernization efforts,” said Army Lt. Col. Casel Rumfelt, RTS range director. “This range and testing facilitate America’s technical advantage on the global stage. Our team brings decades of experience and a level of professionalism that makes the impossible seem easy in a no-fail environment. I couldn’t be prouder of this incredible team.” 

The test launch is a culmination of months of preparation that involve multiple government partners. Airmen from all three missile wings were selected for the task force to support the test launch. The missile bases within AFGSC have crew members standing alert 24 hours a day, year-round, overseeing the nation’s ICBM alert forces. 

The ICBM community, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and U.S. Strategic Command, uses data collected from test launches for continuing force development evaluation. The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational capability of the Minuteman III and ensures the United States’ ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of U.S. national security and the security of U.S. allies and partners. 

Minot Air Force Base is home to two major Air Force units: the 5th Bomb Wing and 91st Missile Wing, which are Air Force Global Strike Command units. Minot is the only dual-wing nuclear-capable base in the nation, hosting two legs of the nuclear triad with a fleet of B-52H Stratofortress bombers and Minuteman III missiles. As one of the Air Force’s three operational intercontinental ballistic missile units, the 91st Missile Wing, whose members are known as the Rough Riders, are responsible for strategic deterrence by operation, maintaining and securing a fleet of 150 Minuteman III missile located in underground launch facilities positioned in a 8,500 square mile missile complex located in the northwest part of the state of North Dakota. 

“It’s imperative to understand the overall mission and day-to-day operations of our military members in order to support them in the best way possible. This engagement was a unique opportunity for leaders from across the state to learn more about North Dakota’s unique role in protecting the nation. Proud to be a part of Team Minot,” shared Cassidy Hjelmstad, Minot Area Chamber EDC Board Chair and Task Force 21 Member.  

For questions regarding the launch window or Vandenberg SFB range operations, contact 30th Space Launch Delta Public Affairs at 805-606-3595 or 30sw.pa.workflow@us.af.mil. 

For queries regarding the ICBM test launch purpose and missile, contact AFGSC Public Affairs at 318-456-1305 (After Hours 318-532-1215) or afgsc.paworkflow@us.af.mil.  

Note: Additional photos are available for media use upon request and can be found online at minotchamberedc.com.