Minuteman III attacks Kwajalein

Eureka · 82K views · 2008 · 7:37

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Military history & warfaredemo

Why Hacker News recommends it

Linked as unusually clear real footage of ICBM reentries and impacts whenever missile tests or the Marshall Islands come up.

What it is

Footage of a Minuteman III ICBM test launch and its reentry vehicles striking the Kwajalein atoll target area. It shows the missile climbing through clouds and the warheads descending.

Recommended by 2 HN commenters across 2 different months, 2019 to 2025.

What Hacker News said

Recommends zkms · 2020-08 · on “Rosatom releases previously classified documentary video of Tsar Bomba nuke test”

Alternatively there is [this video] about Minuteman III testing -- in which a song called "It's My Life" plays as we see breathtaking video of an unarmed Minuteman III missile climbing its way through the clouds at Vandenberg AFB and the West Coast; followed by footage of the reentry vehicles falling down from the sky at several kilometers per second, visible only as streaks of white light.

Recommends dkbrk · 2025-02 · on “Minuteman III test showcases readiness of U.S. nuclear force's deterrent”

There's an excellent publicly released video made about an older test. It has some of the clearest footage of the actual reentries and impacts, and is also worth watching for the sheer 90s vibe of the production. [this video]

Cites discordance · 2019-12 · on “US atomic waste dump in Marshall Islands to be investigated”

Decades after their nuke testing there, the US then used Kwajalein as target practice for their ICBMs: [this video]