US Air Force terminates missile test flight due to anomaly after California launch

VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) — An unarmed U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile was intentionally destroyed when something went wrong during a test launch from California. The Air Force Global Strike Command says the flight of the Minuteman 3 was “safely terminated” over the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday due to an anomaly during launch from Vandenberg Space Force Base. An investigative group is being formed to determine the cause. The Minuteman system is one of the main pillars of U.S. nuclear strength but it is decades old. The Air Force says test launches are conducted to gather data to keep the system effective and to identify and correct any issues.