The US Air Force conducted a routine test launch of an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, even as US President Donald Trump signalled that Washington may resume nuclear testing claiming on several occasions that China, Russia, North Korea and Pakistan have been conducting underground tests.

Only North Korea has carried out a nuclear test explosion in the 21st century, the last one in 2017.

The test, designated Glory Trip 254, was conducted to verify the missile system’s performance and gather data to ensure the continued accuracy and reliability of the US ICBM force, the US Space Force said in a release.

The United States’ nuclear triad is made up of three interconnected components — land, sea and air — that together

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