An unarmed Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launches during an operational test at 12:01 Pacific Time May 21, 2025, at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. ICBM test launches demonstrate that the U.S. ICBM fleet is ready, reliable and effective in leveraging dominance in an era of strategic competition. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Elora J. McCutcheon)