The Air Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile overnight as part of a test to confirm the safety and reliability of the nation’s nuclear deterrent forces, Air Force Global Strike Command officials said Tuesday.

The ICBM launched shortly before 1 a.m. Pacific Time from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California. Air Force officials said that similar reliability tests have occurred more than 300 times and the event was not the result of current world events.

The ICBM’s single reentry vehicle traveled about 4,200 miles to the U.S. Army’s Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site on Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Analysts collected radar, optical and telemetry data in the final phase of the flight to evaluate the system’s performance.

Gen. Thomas A. Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, said the nuclear missions are the “bedrock” of the nation’s defense and international security.

“Our ICBM force provides 24/7 strategic deterrence and stand ready to respond at a moment’s notice as the most responsive leg of the nuclear triad,” Gen. Bussiere said in a statement following the launch. “Our test launches demonstrate and confirm our readiness to deliver a safe, secure, effective, and credible global combat capability.”

The LG-35A Sentinel is expected to replace the Minuteman III ICBM by 2029, officials said. The Minuteman III has been in service since 1970 and some critics say the Biden administration has failed to modernize and upgrade the U.S. nuclear arsenal to keep pace with nuclear-armed rivals China and Russia.

• Mike Glenn can be reached at mglenn@washingtontimes.com.