On July 31, the U.S. Air Force initiated the test flight of an unarmed LGM-30G Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) from Vandenburg Air Force Base in California bound for a target in the Marshall Islands. The test was a long-planned operational launch intended to provide feedback on the effectiveness of the launch system, command and control procedures, and performance of Missile Operations Officers. Mission Flight Control Officers ordered the ICBM to self-destruct without incident over the Pacific Ocean. An investigation into the cause of the anomaly is underway.