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| US Nuclear Capable Missile Tests Postponed |
Washington - Chinese military exercises off the coast of Taiwan prompted the United States Air Force (US) to postpone its nuclear-capable missile test Thursday (4/8/2022). The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) scheduled for a test launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, was postponed to avoid escalating tensions with Beijing.
The delay was first reported by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), citing an unnamed Department of Defense official. The newly appointed Pentagon spokesman, Air Force Brigadier General Patrick Ryder, will not take office until the end of this month.
"This is a long-planned but postponed test to clear up misunderstandings in light of the PRC's actions around Taiwan," the official told the WSJ, using an acronym for the People's Republic of China (PRC).
Earlier in the day, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Eastern Theater Command began intensive military exercises in six zones around Taiwan, which included the use of about a dozen hypersonic missiles.
The exercise was widely interpreted as a response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei earlier this week, which Beijing denounced as a provocation. Taipei condemned the drills as a de facto "blockade of Taiwan's air and sea space" and accused Beijing of waging "psychological warfare against Taiwan and its citizens." Known as the "Glory Journey", the Minuteman III tests are carried out every few months to assess the missile's reliability.
Thursday's test was the second this year to be postponed due to a major world event. Another test in early March was postponed to reduce the risk of a catastrophic "misinterpretation or miscommunication" with Russia over the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
Moscow has put its nuclear deterrent on alert over "aggressive remarks" by NATO and the US-led alliance's sanctions war against Russia. While the March test was eventually canceled altogether, a US official told the WSJ that the August test may be delayed by up to ten days.