Article Posted on : - Sep 27, 2013

CALIFORNIA (AP): The US Air Force has test-launched an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile from California.

The missile lifted off from Vandenberg Air Force Base at 3:33 a.m. PDT (1033 GMT) on Thursday.

It was the second Minuteman launch from Vandenberg this week. The first was launched early Sunday.

The Air Force Global Strike Command said the test was a success. No other details were released because it was a classified mission. Such tests typically involve a flight over the Pacific Ocean to a target in the Kwajalein Atoll.

Col. Scott Fox, vice commander of the 20th Air Force, said in a statement that the test was a visible demonstration of the nation's nuclear deterrent.

Private rocket maker SpaceX will attempt to launch a Canadian satellite from Vandenberg on Sunday.