USAF launches minuteman missile

The u-s military tested an unarmed "Minuteman three" missile on election day. It launched from an underground silo at vandenberg air force base in california. Global strike command -- the overseer of the nation's nuclear weapons -- says the three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile successfully hit its target after re-entry. The air force tests the missiles about four times a year -- to gather data on the weapon system's reliability and accuracy. The most recent test, in july, ended early -- with the military sending a self-destruct command after detecting an anomaly during flight. The test dates are selected several years in advance. The u-s military has an arsenal of about 450 nuclear-tipped "Minuteman three" missiles on the ready at three bases.