NEW YORK, November 5. /TASS/. The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) without a warhead flew about 4,200 miles (6,700 kilometers) during a test launch and splashed down in the Marshall Islands area, the US Air Force Global Strike Command’s Vandenberg Space Force Base reported.

"This test validated the reliability, adaptability, and modularity of the weapon system," the statement said. "The data collected during the test is invaluable in ensuring the continued reliability and accuracy of the ICBM weapon system," the servicemen added.

This launch was the first since US President Donald Trump announced in late October that Washington would resume nuclear testing. However, neither the US leader nor other White House officials explained whether this involved explosive tests.

The US War Department plans to adopt new ground-based Sentinel ICBMs to replace Minuteman III. This stage will be one of the central elements in the modernization of the country's nuclear forces. According to Pentagon estimates, the missile will not be deployed until at least 2031. In the meantime, many American non-governmental experts believe that the US can successfully maintain strategic nuclear deterrence without silo-based ICBMs by relying on nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines and heavy bombers instead. These components comprise the nuclear triad.