US tests nuclear missile capabilities on election day
On the day of the presidential elections, the United States tested the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile. The launch command was issued from the "doomsday plane" using the ALCS system, which is designed to be used in the event that the White House and ground command centers are destroyed.
7:47 PM EST, November 6, 2024
The test launch of the Minuteman ballistic missile took place in the early morning hours, after 2 AM Eastern Time, following the closing of polling stations. An unarmed missile was launched from the Vandenberg base in California.
As planned, the LGM-30G Minuteman III missile successfully hit a target several thousand miles away at the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
The American command emphasizes that this launch is not a response to current events. According to a statement provided, the test had been planned for a long time, and the Minuteman test launch was one of over 300 conducted to date.
It's worth noting that the test was conducted according to a specific scenario. The missile was launched using an airborne command center equipped with the ALCS system, located aboard the "doomsday plane." This aircraft is the E-6B Mercury, which belongs to the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron.
ALCS – a safeguard in case of an attack on the USA
ALCS (Airborne Launch Control System) is a communication channel developed during the Cold War in the 1960s. It allows for the remote launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles.
This system serves as a safeguard in case the White House and other ground decision-making centers are destroyed, deprived of communication, or if the U.S. authorities, for security reasons, are not on the ground but in one of the airborne command centers, known as doomsday planes.
Until the end of the Cold War, at least one airplane with ALCS was constantly in the air. However, since the 1990s, airborne standby was discontinued. Now, the ALCS-equipped aircraft stands by on the ground with a crew ready for immediate takeoff.
