The US Air Force (USAF) had to abort a test flight of an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile on 31 July after it developed an ‘anomaly’, officials said.
The flight of the Minuteman III missile, which launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, was safely terminated over the Pacific Ocean at 4:42 am (1142 GMT).
Officials are forming a ‘launch analysis group’ to determine what caused the anomaly.
Air Force Global Strike Command said in a statement: ‘An anomaly is any unexpected event during the test. Since anomalies may arise from many factors relating to the operational platform itself, or the test equipment, careful analysis is needed to identify the cause.’
Personnel at Vandenberg routinely carry out tests of Minuteman missiles, and the launches are often planned years in advance.
Decades after the Cold War, the US still fields hundreds of Minuteman III ICBMs, dotted in silos across rural America.
Over the next 20 years, the USAF will switch out the entirety of its Minuteman III fleet with a new missile known currently known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.
Equipment has continued to flow into Ukraine from the European Union (EU), NATO and western countries as the war against Russia continues but other types of support with longer-term prospects are appearing.
The UK’s National Security Strategy brings together the recently released Strategic Defence Review (SDR), Strategic Security Review, AUKUS Review and Industrial and Trade Strategies. At the same time, the UK made a commitment to reach defence spending of 5% of GDP by 2035 and Germany committed to 3.5% by 2029.
The House Committee on Appropriations approved a FY2026 bill reducing investments in main defence programmes.
Holographic and 3D technologies have been lauded by some for their ability to provide technical and operational advantages for military training and planning. But is the hype truly justified?
Shephard talked to multiple experts about the most pressing concerns and considerations regarding the air defence system advocated by President Trump.
While industry reception to the SDR has been positive, questions still remain from analyst and trade associations about what this could mean for future investment and the future UK Defence Industrial Strategy.
Connect with us on socials
