A Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, configured with a National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) joint-test assembly, was launched on May 22 from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The launch was an extended range test to confirm the weapon system's reliability and accuracy. The missile's single, unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled approximately 5250 miles before hitting its pre-determined target in a broad ocean area 230 nautical miles southwest of Guam. This flight was approximately 1000 miles farther than the traditional tests, which land in the Marshall Islands.

The more distant impact site imposed unique challenges that were overcome through a joint effort with the Navy. The Navy vessel deployed 16 rafts with on-board tracking instruments in a grid pattern to score the accuracy of the re-entry vehicle when it struck the water.

This mission was unique in its use of the extended range assets from the Navy's Mobile Instrumentation System on a T-AGS class ship. The critical task of testing and improving the nation's ICBM fleet has been a Vandenberg AFB mission since it's founding in 1958.

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