The test suggests that Washington is less worried about the situation escalating around Taiwan in the short-term at least. An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test at 2:10 a.m. Pacific Daylight Time at Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, U.S., August 2, 2017. The U.S. military also canceled a test of its Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile in April. The nuclear-capable Minuteman III, made by Boeing Co. (BA.N), is key to the U.S. military's strategic arsenal. Russian President Vladimir Putin said in February that his nation's nuclear forces should be put on high alert, raising fears that Russia's invasion of Ukraine could lead to nuclear war.

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