An equipment malfunction has led to communication failure between 50 Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) and a launch control centre in the US.

US Air Force (USAF) spokesman Lt Col Todd Vician said the break, which lasted less than an hour, was due to a faulty circuit board at a control centre and occurred at Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, US.

The 50 Minuteman III ICBMs are part of the 319th Missile Squadron, where 150 ICBMs are located.

Vician said the equipment failure disrupted communication between the control centre and the missiles, but during that time the air force was able to monitor the security of the affected missiles.

The USAF has launched two investigations into the incident, while preliminary findings reveal that no damage occurred to the missiles, according to The Independent.

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