![]() ![]() Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. This launch control center with a view of Pawnee Buttes in northern Weld County houses about 20 members of the 90th Missile Wing of the F.E. Meadowlarks sing, their voices piercing the ever-present wind, all putting your mind at ease.īut behind this innocuous knoll in a submarine-like cabin deep underground are two officers with the keys to flip the switch to Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles capable of reaching targets 6,000 miles away should the president direct them. NORTHERN WELD COUNTY - If it weren't for the 184-foot tall antenna tower stretching far above the prairie, many might not give a second thought to what lies nestled behind this gentle rise carpeted with green prairie grasses and ground-hugging wildflowers wrestling the wind.Ĭows lazily graze in pastures. Propulsion: Three-stage solid fuel rocket motors post-boost stage for positioning re-entry vehicle is liquid-fueledĪrmament: One, two or three MK-12 or MK-12A warheads in the megaton rangeĬlick here to return to the Missile Gallery.View Gallery: Oscar Missile Alert Facility near Grover, Colorado, hosts media tour With precise timing, it releases the warhead or "re-entry vehicle." Helped by penetration aids that disguise it on enemy radar, the warhead follows a ballistic trajectory to its target. The post-boost vehicle (or "warhead bus") carrying the nuclear payload then maneuvers to a pre-determined release point. ![]() At the proper time - about three minutes after launch - small rockets slow the third stage. In flight, a sophisticated guidance system keeps Minuteman III on course by slightly adjusting rocket nozzles. As each stage burns out, it drops away and the next stage ignites. Minuteman III is a three-stage missile that can reach targets more than 6,000 miles away. Finally, electric cables automatically disconnect to free the missile, the first stage ignites, and Minuteman III is on its way. Next, the crewmen simultaneously turn keys that give the missile a final readiness check and open huge silo doors at ground level. If necessary, top-secret codes are sent to the missiles to enable them to launch at predetermined targets. When a launch crew receives a valid "emergency action message," they take specific and well-practiced steps to make sure their actions are correct. Launching a Minuteman III takes about 60 seconds. Airborne command and control aircraft can also launch the missiles remotely if ground command is destroyed. A modern system of high- and low-frequency satellite, radio and land lines ensures secure, reliable communication for sending and receiving orders. Minuteman III crews can launch missiles only on authenticated orders from the President of the United States using complex, secure codes and procedures. ![]() Missile squadrons consist of 50 missiles. Each team controls 10 widely-dispersed missiles. These highly-trained USAF teams are on alert at all times in deeply-buried underground launch facilities. Two officers make up a Minuteman III launch crew. These improvements enable Minuteman III to serve well into the 21st century. The Air Force has also upgraded launch facilities and installed better communications gear with new command and control consoles. ![]() Advanced guidance systems, new solid rocket fuel, and improved electrical power are the most recent updates. Over the years, new technology has increased Minuteman III's reliability, accuracy and ability to survive nuclear attack. Warren AFB, Wyo., Malmstrom AFB, Mont., and Minot AFB, N.D. Today, Minuteman III missiles are located in widely-separated, hardened underground silos at three bases - F.E. Air Force's Minuteman II missiles in 1995 and Peacekeeper missiles in 2005 left Minuteman III as the only American land-based ICBM. Minuteman I, the first of the family, became operational in 1962 during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The Minuteman system was designed in the 1950s. Though Minuteman III can carry three warheads, each missile has been limited to one by international treaty since 2005. Minuteman III was the world's first missile to carry more than one warhead, using a "Multiple Independently-targetable Re-entry Vehicle" (MIRV) system. It can also be launched almost instantly. This important feature allows the missile to be stored for long periods in its silo, requiring much less maintenance and fewer technicians than older liquid-fueled missiles like Titan and Atlas. The Minuteman series was the first in the U.S. Minuteman III became operational in 1970, and is the most modern missile in the Minuteman family. nuclear forces are on alert at all times, ensuring a swift response in the event of a nuclear attack. It is one leg of the nuclear deterrent "triad" that also includes USAF bombers and U.S. The Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) is the United States' only current operational land-based strategic nuclear missile. ![]()
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