An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test on Oct. 2, 2019, at Vandenberg AFB, Calif. (Air Force)

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. — The U.S. Air Force has tested an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile with a launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.

The missile lifted off at 1:13 a.m. Wednesday from the base northwest of Los Angeles and sent a test reentry vehicle on a 4,200-mile (6,760-kilometer) flight over the Pacific Ocean to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

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An Air Force Global Strike Command statement says such tests demonstrate the capability of the intercontinental ballistic missile system and are not a response to world events or regional tensions.

The launch was conducted by a team of airmen from the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana.

Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test

This image taken with a slow shutter speed and provided by the U.S. Air Force shows an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile test launch early Tuesday, Oct. 2, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (Staff Sgt. J.T. Armstrong/U.S. Air Force via AP)

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