Castle Bravo, the first in a series of high-yield thermonuclear weapon tests conducted by the United States at Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of Operation Castle, March 1954. Photo: United States Department of Energy
The Kiribati government says it is deeply concerned about ongoing intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) testing in the Pacific Ocean.
Last week, the US military launched an ICBM test, firing the missile from the Space Force base in California and flew over the Marshall Islands.
Air Force Global Strike Command said that airmen and Navy aircrew launched an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM equipped with multiple targetable re-entry vehicles from aboard the Airborne Launch Control System from Vandenberg Space Force Base.
The test came on the heels of North Korea's 31 October test of the country's newest ICBM, which is estimated to be capable of flying over 9320 miles and designed to reach the United States.
In statement on Monday, the Kiribati President's Office said that the island nation "does not welcome the United State's recent ICBM test", which was conducted on Wednesday last week.
The statement added the country's position is the same as China's ICBM launch last month and other countries' missile tests in the recent past.
"Kiribati was informed on Wednesday, 6 November, of the unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) launch conducted by the United States launched on the same day.
"The United States government clarified that, as Kiribati is a subscribing state to the Hague Code of Conduct against Ballistic Missile Proliferation (HCoC), a pre-launch notice was issued pursuant to the United States' obligations under the HCoC in the form of a press release on 1 November 2024."
"We remain deeply concerned about the ongoing use of the Pacific Ocean for missile testing."
The Kiribati government said the unarmed ICBM re-entry vehicle travelled approximately 4200 miles to the US Army Space and Missile Defense Command's Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS) located within the Republic of the Marshall Islands at Kwajalein Atoll.
"Although the test was not directed at Kiribati or any other country, we remain vigilant in safeguarding the integrity of the Pacific region.
"The High Seas, while internationally governed, are an integral part of Kiribati's Blue Pacific Continent, and we call on all nations to exercise greater responsibility when conducting missile tests in this critical area.
"Kiribati continues to advocate for the cessation of weapons testing in the Pacific Ocean and urges global cooperation to ensure the peace, security, and stability of our shared environment.
"We remain committed to protecting the peaceful future of the Pacific and safeguarding the well-being of future generations."
