US Air Force launches test missile off California coast

An Air Force statement said the mission was part of a programme to test the effectiveness, readiness, and accuracy of the weapon system.

An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile has been launched from a US Air Force Base in California on a flight to a target in the Pacific Ocean.

The missile lifted off at 12.03am today from Vandenberg Air Force Base, 130 miles north west of Los Angeles.