[Yang Nak-gyu's Defence Club] Destruction of Pyongyang within 30 Minutes... 'Minuteman-3' Joint US-ROK Inspection

Observed South Korean Military Minuteman III Test Launch for the Second Time Ever
Also Confirmed Ground-Based Interceptor Facility at U.S. Military Base

Our military officials observed the test launch of the 'Minuteman III' intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, USA. This marks the second time in history and the first time in 7 years and 9 months since February 2016 that the South Korean military has directly witnessed a Minuteman III test launch.

Heo Tae-geun, Director of Defense Policy at the Ministry of National Defense (left), and Bipan Narang, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, observed the test launch of the Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Minuteman-3 at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, USA, on the 31st of last month (local time). Photo by Ministry of National Defense

On the 2nd, the Ministry of National Defense announced that representatives from the Korea-US Nuclear Consultative Group (NCG), including Heo Tae-geun, Director of Defense Policy, and Bipan Narang, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Space Policy, along with other military officials from both countries, jointly observed the Minuteman III test launch conducted at Vandenberg Base on the 31st of last month.

The Minuteman III was launched from an underground silo equipped with a dummy warhead and flew approximately 7,600 km before landing in the Kwajalein area near the Marshall Islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Minuteman III is considered one of the three major nuclear forces of the United States, alongside strategic bombers and strategic nuclear submarines (SSBNs). It can carry up to three nuclear warheads with a yield of up to 450 kilotons (kt; 1 kt equals the destructive power of 1,000 tons of TNT) and can strike any location on Earth within 30 minutes. It can reach from California to Pyongyang within 30 minutes. The United States maintains up to 400 Minuteman III missiles. Since its initial deployment in the 1970s, the Minuteman system has been upgraded with cutting-edge technology to meet new challenges and mission requirements.

The delegations from both sides also inspected the launch facilities of the Ground-Based Interceptor (GBI) deployed at the base. The United States currently deploys 44 GBIs to defend the mainland against ICBM attacks. The GBI can intercept incoming nuclear missiles at altitudes up to 2,000 km, outside the atmosphere.

The attendance of our military officials was reportedly at the suggestion of the U.S. as part of strengthening the effectiveness of extended deterrence between South Korea and the U.S. under the 'Washington Declaration.' This is interpreted as an effort to emphasize the joint operation of the U.S. nuclear triad following last month's landing of a B-52 strategic bomber at Cheongju Air Base.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.