The Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen and Vandenberg Space Force Base Guardians launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from California on May 21, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. PST. The launched "demonstrates that the U.S. ICBM fleet is ready, reliable and effective in leveraging dominance in an era of strategic competition," according to the US Space Force. Credit: U.S. Space Force video by Staff Sgt. Joshua LeRoi