Vandenberg fires Minuteman test rocket

LOMPOC, Calif., June 29 (UPI) -- An unarmed Minuteman missile test-fired Monday from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California reached its target in the Marshall Islands, base officials said.

The test was the first of three Minuteman tests planned for this year.

The missile, with three unarmed re-entry vehicles, traveled 4,190 miles at speeds in excess of 24,000 mph to reach targets in the Kwajalein Atoll, said Col. David Buck, commander of the 30th Space Wing.

Members from the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, N.D., assisted with maintenance tasks preceding the launch.

"It's really something when you see a truly outstanding team come together," Buck said in a release from the base. "I couldn't think of a better team to demonstrate the awesome capability of our (intercontinental ballistic missile) fleet."