The U.S. military conducted a successful nuclear-capable intercontinental ballistic missile test Wednesday, just days after North Korea conducted its own ICBM test.
The U.S. Air Force launched a Minuteman III from the Air Force’s North Vandenberg Air Force Base just before dawn. The launch follows the successful test of North Korea’s Hwasong-14 ICBM, which experts and intelligence officials assess can strike American cities across the country.
The test was planned in advance and was not a direct response to North Korea’s actions, but it undoubtedly sent a message.
“While not a response to recent North Korean actions, the test demonstrates that the United States’ nuclear enterprise is safe, secure, effective and ready to be able to deter, detect and defend against attacks on the United States and its allies,” the Air Force said in a statement, according to ABC News.
