An unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base early Wednesday to test the weapon’s reliability to “defend against attacks on the United States and its allies,” the Air Force said.

The Minuteman III missile was fired at 2:10 a.m. from the base northwest of Santa Barbara, according to the Air Force Global Strike Command. The missile, equipped with a single test reentry vehicle, traveled 4,200 miles to a test range near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.