An operational test launch of an Air Force Global Strike Command unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 1:26 a. m. PT," the statement read.

The Minuteman III program started at the height of the Cold War and this weapon has been in service since the 1970s.

US plans to replace Minuteman III with LGM-35 Sentinel - a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile system, which is currently in the early stages of development.

ICBMs are a traditional part of US nuclear triad.