Since October 1959, when a nuclear-armed Atlas D missile first went on alert, ICBMs have protected the nation.
This month marks the 50th anniversary of the ICBM.
Shown here is a Minuteman III with a single unarmed re-entry vehicle successfully test launching from Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.
The RV traveled approximately 4,190 miles to a pre-determined target near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
(U.S. Air Force photo/Joe Davila)
Read the story here.
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