U.S. Air Force test launches 2nd unarmed ICBM this month
The U.S. Air Force has launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from California in the second such test this month.
A Minutemen 3 missile roared out of a silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base at 12:40 a.m., May 9, carrying a test reentry vehicle.
The Global Strike Command says in a press release that the reentry vehicle traveled 4,200 miles over the Pacific to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.
The Air Force says tests verify the accuracy of the system, demonstrate a robust nuclear deterrent but are not a reaction to world events.
A similar launch was conducted May 1 at Vandenberg on the coast northwest of Los Angeles.
Both launches were conducted by airmen from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyo. AP
One Marine killed, six hurt in California training crash
One Marine is dead and six others have been injured after their light armored vehicle rolled over during training at Camp Pendleton in Southern California.
Authorities say the cause of the May 9 morning rollover at the sprawling camp north of San Diego is under investigation.
The Marine who died was 1st Lt. Hugh C. McDowell from Washington, D.C. McDowell joined the Marine Corps in May 2017. His awards include the National Defense Service Medal and the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal.
The military says the six injured Marines were taken to a local hospital and they weren’t seriously hurt.
The Marines are from the 1st Light Armored Reconnaissance Battalion, 1st Marine Division. AP
U.S. B-52 bombers land in Qatar over unspecified Iran threat
The B-52 bombers ordered by the White House to deploy to the Persian Gulf to counter unspecified threats from Iran are beginning to arrive at a major American air base in Qatar.
Images released by the U.S. Air Force show B-52H Stratofortress bombers arriving at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar on May 9. Others landed at an undisclosed location Wednesday.
The Air Force identified the aircraft as coming from the 20th Bomb Squadron of Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana.
On May 5, the White House announced it would send the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group and the bombers to counter Tehran.
On May 8, Iran announced it would begin backing away from its nuclear deal with world powers, a year after President Donald Trump pulled America from the accord. AP