The Air Force must continue maintaining Minuteman III nuclear missiles longer than expected, with the Sentinel successor requiring a major restructuring.

The U.S. Air Force demonstrated the nation's nuclear readiness by launching an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California early Wednesday morning.

Californians were able to look to the sky to see an unarmed missile as the Air Force launched the Minuteman III from Vandenberg base.