[Launch Alert] Minuteman III Destroyed During Test Launch

[Launch Alert]

                             LAUNCH ALERT
 				  
                              Brian Webb
                     Ventura County, California
                  launch-alert-editor at earthlink.net
                        www.spacearchive.info
		       
                                2011 July 27 (Wednesday) 05:17 PDT
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             MINUTEMAN III DESTROYED DURING TEST LAUNCH
                     Vandenberg AFB News Release
                            2011 July 27

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - An unarmed operational test
Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile was destroyed by
Vandenberg's Western Range officials at 3:06 a.m. PDT after launching
from Launch Facility 04 here July 27.

Air Force controllers detected a flight anomaly and terminated the
flight for safety reasons. When terminated, the vehicle was in the
broad ocean area, northeast of Roi-Namur.

"At all times public safety is paramount. We plan for situations like
this and everything was executed according to the plan," said Col.
Matthew Carroll, 30th Space Wing chief of safety. "Established
parameters were exceeded and controllers sent destruct commands."

The launch was an operational test to determine the weapon system's 
reliability and accuracy.

An Air Force team will investigate the cause of the anomaly.

More information will be released as it becomes available.

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Copyright 2011, Brian Webb. All rights reserved.