US Tests ICBM, Says It Demonstrates Effective Nuclear Capabilities

Air Force Says Test Not Specifically About North Korea

Overnight, the US test-fired an ICBM from the North Vandenberg Air Force Base across the Pacific Ocean. It was the fourth such test this year, landing some 6,800 km away in the Kwajalein Atoll.

The Air Force issued a statement, insisting that the test was not specifically about ongoing tensions with North Korea, but that it “demonstrates that the United States’ nuclear enterprise is secure, effective, and ready,” for future conflicts.

In specifying that the test was not about North Korea, the Air Force effectively confirmed that this was very much what it was about, coming just after a North Korean ICBM test of questionable effectiveness. the US “tested” a missile they’ve had for generations.

The US has been making a long series of “shows of force” related to North Korea in recent months, and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R – SC) said President Trump had told him that the US believes it has a good military option to totally destroy North Korea.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.