An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test May 1, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aubree Milks)
Posted on 05/02/2019 11:36:58 AM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
BARKSDALE AIR FORCE BASE, La. (AFNS) -- A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle May 1 from Vandenberg AFB, California.
The test demonstrates that the United States’ nuclear deterrent is modern, robust, flexible, ready and appropriately tailored to deter 21st-century threats and reassure our allies. Test launches are not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions.
The ICBM's reentry vehicle, which contained a high-fidelity package used for operational testing, traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. These test launches verify the accuracy and reliability of the ICBM weapon system, providing valuable data to ensure a continued safe, secure and effective nuclear deterrent.
“The test launch is the culmination of months of hard work and preparation that involve multiple partners," said Col. Dave Kelley, 576th Flight Test Squadron commander. "I couldn’t be more impressed with the team that we partner with to successfully execute this mission. The men and women from the 90th MW, 576th FLTS, and the 30th Space Wing here at Vandenberg (AFB) made this look easy, but it was far from that. It’s a testament to the dedication and professionalism of these great organizations.”
F.E. Warren AFB is one of three missile bases with crew members standing alert 24 hours a day, year-round, overseeing the nation’s ICBM alert forces.
"Members of the 90th MW were selected for this task force based on their demonstrated commitment, dedication to the mission and proficiency in maintaining and operating the nation's ICBM force,” said Maj. Travis Hilliard, Task Force commander. “I'm extremely proud of the team's ability to prepare the ICBM for the test and monitor the sortie up until test execution. The tasks they have accomplished here have been done with the same level of precision and professionalism as they are every day back in the missile fields in Wyoming."
The ICBM community, including the Department of Defense, the Department of Energy, and U.S. Strategic Command uses data collected from test launches for continuing force development evaluation. The ICBM test launch program demonstrates the operational capability of the Minuteman III and ensures the U.S.’ ability to maintain a strong, credible nuclear deterrent as a key element of U.S. national security and the security of U.S. allies and partners.
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test May 1, 2019, at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif. (U.S. Air Force photo by Airman 1st Class Aubree Milks)
Thanks for the post.
“A team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen from the 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base, Wyoming, launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with a test reentry vehicle May 1 from Vandenberg AFB, California.”
Oops, it wasn’t a “test re-entry” vehicle it was the real thing.
WHAT!
Oh, and the re-entry vehicle is armed with a 300kt warhead.
WHAT!!
Where is the impact area?
Mecca.
WHAT!!!
5.56mm
The first time I saw one of these, I had no idea what it was. You can see it from all over the LA/OC area. Spooky looking. Fortunately the local news mentioned it.
bttt
First time I saw an OT shot close up was from a hill overlooking the launch facility at Vandenberg it was impressive. When the engines fire there isn’t much noise as the missile comes out of the launch tube with flames covering the cork ablative skin. When the missile clears the tube you hear the roar and it seems to slowly rise until it reaches about 1000 ft and then seemed to instantly speed up and arc out over the ocean on the way to the atoll. Amazing sight. Four years before I was at Barstow CA on the desert and saw the dual launch come up over the mountains and arc out to target. Also impressive. Still a valuable weapon system.
I just thought of something....
Our ICBM’s are all in optimum placement for Russia....
Mecca, Saudi Arabia, Somali and Yemin might be out of range.
Makes you think....
IMHO, if anywhere the military needs expansion it is more Tridents and supporting attack subs. The Tridents are the reason neither Russia, China, Norks, Iran, nor other rogue nations would attack America with nukes. BTW, so-called suitcase nukes have a short life span and why they have yet to be used.
Many people don't know that anywhere enriched weapons grade uranium-235 and plutonium-239 is processed, it gives off a specific isotope signature as to how and where produced.
Here is a long read about the above: https://fas.org/sgp/crs/nuke/R40154.pdf
Not from the Boomers or the BUFFs ...
I forgot about the Subs...
“The test launch is the culmination of months of hard work and preparation that involve multiple partners,” said Col. Dave Kelley
Months? What happens when you have minutes?
WHAT!
Oh, and the re-entry vehicle is armed with a 300kt warhead.
WHAT!!
Where is the impact area?
Mecca.
WHAT!!!:
Wet dreams again? {:-) Have that same one several times a week...
All of the forces can be retargeted on demand and they have never been exclusively targeted for Russia.
The test launches remove and replace a random active missile in the silo and then take the missile minus warheads to Vandenberg AFB where it is processed and placed for test launch. Replace is the keyword here. A missile is pulled off alert for the test shot and replaced with a an operational missile. There are multiple missiles, not just one, in a squadron, all a part of the alert force and ready to launch on notice. The operational launch readiness of the missile forces is not affected. Planning and preparing the select missile for the ultimate launch does take a lot of work.
That makes a bit more sense.
An icbm strike on Mecca? We can explain by saying Some people did something. Lol.
Minuteman III modern? We fired those off in 1981 from Vandenberg.
“Minuteman III modern? “
It’s still as good as any other ICBM in the world.
Accurate to 50 meters CEP and 100% reliable. Solid fuel that does not degrade. 3 100kt warheads (recent treaty limits to ONE warhead).
What more do you need from an ICBM? Any enhancement would break our treaties with the Russians. And that’s not a good place to be.
I saw (with my wife and daughter, totally by accident) a SpaceX launch out of Vandenburg from just outside Pahrump, NV a few days before Christmas 2017. Really cool, I figured it had to be a rocket launch. I pulled my car over to watch it. When I got into Pahrump about 10 minutes after the launch, there were numerous car accidents from people who crashed watching it. When I got on the internet back at the hotel, all of southern California was freaking out about “the UFO”. How do you live in southern California and have never seen a missile launch? Morons.
That’s what Trident submarines are for.
When he’s talking months, he’s talking about taking a random missile out of a silo in Wyoming, shipping it to Vandenberg, placing it back into the silo, attaching, wiring up, and op-checking a whole bunch of test equipment that you normally wouldn’t use, and launching it out of the silo at Vandenberg. All of the test prep takes months, launching if there’s an incoming attack does not.
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