Northrop Grumman [NOC] supported the flight testing of a U.S. Air Force Minuteman III ICBM on Sept. 23, the company said on Tuesday.
The ICBM flight test was conducted as part of the Air Force Global Strike Command’s Force Development Evaluation Program. This program demonstrates and supports assessment of the accuracy, availability, and reliability of the Minuteman III system.
The Northrop Grumman-led ICBM prime team supports the Air Force in sustainment of the Minuteman system including development, production, deployment, and system modifications.
Other members of the team include
Boeing [BA], Lockheed Martin [LMT], ATK [ATK], and over 20 other companies.
The launch occurred after a four-hour hold for down-range weather. The ICBM traveled about 4,800 miles in 30 minutes. It was launched from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., to the Ronald Reagan Test Site in the Kwajalein Atoll in the western chain of the Marshall Islands.
“Each operational test we conduct is critical to ensuring the safety, surety, reliability and effectiveness of our nation’s ICBM weapons system,” Lori Belnap, director and program manager for Northrop Grumman’s ICBM prime team, said in a statement.