The United States announced that it had successfully tested an intercontinental ballistic missile, BTA reports, citing the Pentagon.

The test was announced in advance to avoid escalating tensions with Russia at the height of the war in Ukraine.

The Minuteman 3 missile, which did not have a warhead attached, was launched today from Vandenberg Air Force Base in the southwestern state of California at 1:13 a.m. (11:13 a.m. Bulgarian time).

It flew about 6,760 kilometers over the Pacific Ocean before crashing near the Marshall Islands, the US Air Force said.

The communiqué noted that "this is a routine test and periodic operations designed to demonstrate that the United States' nuclear arsenal is safe, secure, reliable, and effective."

"Tests of this type have been conducted over 300 times and have nothing to do with current world events," the US Air Force added.

USA: We will conduct an intercontinental ballistic missile test and have warned Russia

The United States does not usually announce such weapons tests in advance.

However, the previous test launch of the Minuteman 3 missile, which can carry a nuclear warhead, was postponed twice due to international tensions.

Originally scheduled for March, the test was rescheduled so as not to serve as a pretext for Russia, which invaded Ukraine the previous month, to expand the conflict with other countries.

Early last month, it was postponed for a second time after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taiwan drew an angry response from China.

In the end, the attempt was successfully carried out on August 16.

In service for half a century, after 2005 the Minuteman 3 remained the only surface-to-air missile in the US nuclear arsenal.

Such weapons are located in three US military bases - in the northwestern states of Wyoming, North Dakota and Montana.

The US nuclear arsenal also includes submarine-launched Trident missiles and nuclear bombs that can be dropped by strategic bombers. 

ballistic missile