Air Force Test Fires Missile From Calif Coast

AP via KFMB-TV ^ | 29 June 2009 | AP

[edpc]

VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. (AP) - The Air Force says it has successfully launched an unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile from a California base, firing it to targets in the Pacific Ocean.

[edpc]

See, North Korea? Our long range missiles can actually hit something. If we had any other CiC in place, I'd say this was a show of strength. In Zero's case, however, I'd say it was his way of reducing our ICBM inventory......one at a time.

[TSgt]

North Korea, please pickup the white courtesy phone...

[MIchaelTArchangel]

Painted on the side of the missile were the words: “Are you watching Mr. Kim?”

[MCCC]

It prolly looked something like this......... Minuteman III Missile Launch - California to Kwajalein Atoll

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChhYOO1s-nY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6kLOXZ3-7VM

[ArrogantBustard]

Another possibility is a scheduled test ... would have happened regardless of the Oval Office Occupant or the antics of the little madman in Pyongyang.

Even so, the fact that an ICBM launch is "routine testing" for us is itself a message.

[Prophet in the wilderness]

It’s good to see that they are still developing this system... now, will it be utilized is another question...

[RJS1950]

An amazing sight to see. I watched a MMIII launch from an adjacent hill at VAFB back in the late 70s when you could still get in close. The missile launched was from my wing and squadron at Minot and we were close enough to see the markings on the side as the missle cleared the launch tube. These launches are regularly scheduled reliability and upgrade tests and have been going on for years.

[Dacula]

IIRC The officials at VAFB closed off access to the adjoining beaches a few weeks ago.

[Tallguy]

Did they even have the Minuteman III in the late-’70s? When did the ‘3’ come into service? I seem to recall that the force was a mix of ‘1s’, ‘2s’, with a few Titans still hanging on.

[RJS1950]

I heard about that and I’m suprised it was not done earlier. While it was fun to watch it could be dangerous. If the range officer were required to destroy the missile on flyout it could be problematic for those close in. Years ago one launch had an umbilical fail to disconnect and the missile flopped along the beach before destruction. There’s also a problem of protesters and other fruits and nuts causing an incident these days.

[ASOC]

Wow. link #2 very nice indeed. Thanks for posting.

[didi]

It was scheduled, set some time ago.

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm

[didi]

It was scheduled, set some time ago.

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm

[didi]

It was scheduled.

I don’t know how foggy it was (not there right now), but other times of the year are better for viewing.

http://www.spacearchive.info/vafbsked.htm

[CholeraJoe]

I was stationed at VAFB in the late 80’s-early 90’s. I watched a launch from about as close as humans can get - 1500 meters. Deafening.

[American in Israel]

Let the protesters be human shields on the beach to slow down the wild missile. It is what they claim they are there for. Let reality hit once and a while. It is good for brats to not be so shielded from the fruits of their labors.

[RJS1950]

MMIII came into the inventory in early 1970 and the first was put in place at Minot. I was a crewmember during the time of the Minuteman III Command Data Buffer (CDB) mod allowing for remote retargeting along with several guidance upgrades. I was also involved with ops and plans at Ellsworth AFB and was an airborne keyturner and battlestaff teamchief on the SAC Looking Glass. Minuteman II was primarily at Whiteman, Grand Forks and Ellsworth AFB. MMIII was at Minot, FE Warren and partly at Malmstrom. Titans were at a number of other bases and phased out in the mid to late 80s. The MMIIs were phased out at Ellsworth, Whiteman and Malmstrom in the early 90s. FE Warren upgraded to the Peacekeeper during the early 80s.