Satellite Photo Vandenburg Air Force Base is part of the U.S. Space Command.

According to California TV reports, the U.S. Air Force test fired a Minutemen 3 ICBM around 3 a.m. Monday. The missile was fired into the Pacific Ocean and hit its target, according to Lt. Geoffrey Raymond at the Vandenburg Air Force Base. The test was designed to test the Air Force's weapons system, which hypothetical could be used in response to threats from North Korea. North Korea criticized the U.S. for bolstering its missile defense systems. The Communist state said it would "bolster its nuclear arsenal in retaliation." According to media reports in South Korea, the North is ratcheting up its threats against the U.S. North Korea accused the U.S. of preparing for "pre-emptive nuclear war." Tensions on the North Korean peninsula, where 28,000 U.S. troops are stationed, have been on the rise. North Korea recently tested another nuclear weapon and test fired new long-range missiles. In response to a threat from Kim Jong-il, the North's dictator, the United States positioned missile defense systems in Hawaii.