6.15.10 MinuteMan III Test Launch

[tanstaafl76]

CALFORNIA ROCKET: Last night, sleepless sky watchers in California witnessed a bright light streak across the sky. It was not a meteor. "A unarmed Minuteman III rocket was launched from Vandenberg AFB at 3:01 PDT," reports Anthony Galvan III who took this picture from his backyard in Goleta, CA. "The missile's target was near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands, 4190 miles from the launch site."
http://spaceweather.com/




6/15/2010 - VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. -- The 576th Flight Test Squadron will launch its first unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile here since the squadron was gained by Air Force Global Strike Command. The launch will take place June 16 between 3:01 a.m. and 9:01 a.m.

The MMIII test launch, configured with a joint test assembly, will determine the weapon system's reliability and accuracy. The missile's single unarmed re-entry vehicle is expected to travel approximately 4,190 miles, hitting a pre-determined target near the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands.

"Our team is dedicated to ensuring a safe and effective combat-ready ICBM force that convinces potential adversaries of our unwavering commitment to defend our nation, its allies and friends," said Col. Carl DeKemper, the 576th FLTS commander. "Our dedication to this mission continues as proud members of Air Force Global Strike Command."

The ICBM community, including the Department of Defense and the Department of Energy, will use the data collected from this mission for continuing force development evaluation.
http://www.vandenberg.af.mil/news/story ... =123209200

Isn't the Kwajalein Atoll where SpaceX launches its Falcon1 rockets from? Hope they didn't have any personnel in the area...

Anyone find it strange that they were "testing" a Minuteman III? It's hardly a new rocket, aren't they thoroughly aware of its capabilities already?

 

[strandedonearth]

Periodic Operational Readiness Testing is standard operating procedure, to make sure everything is ready and working. You wouldn't want to give the order to launch all missiles with live warheads and have them all blow up in the silos.

There was a novel featuring that event, including nukes detonating in silos or shortly after launch, turning Kansas into a lake of fire...

 

[scottb50]

Periodic Operational Readiness Testing is standard operating procedure, to make sure everything is ready and working. You wouldn't want to give the order to launch all missiles with live warheads and have them all blow up in the silos.

There was a novel featuring that event, including nukes detonating in silos or shortly after launch, turning Kansas into a lake of fire...

I would think using the rocket to launch a usable object would be a better way to do the testing. Even if it's a sounding rocket it wouldn't be a total loss.

 

[RVHM]

Way to go! This sort of tests keeps our Armed Forces in shape and primed for reaction should a crazy North Korean point a nuke at Seattle.

 

[stevekk]

Periodic Operational Readiness Testing is standard operating procedure, to make sure everything is ready and working. You wouldn't want to give the order to launch all missiles with live warheads and have them all blow up in the silos.

There was a novel featuring that event, including nukes detonating in silos or shortly after launch, turning Kansas into a lake of fire...

I would think using the rocket to launch a usable object would be a better way to do the testing. Even if it's a sounding rocket it wouldn't be a total loss.

My uncle used to work at the Radar installation in Kwajalein. These guys are used to being targets for incoming missiles.

This is a pretty small island in the Pacific. Not much more than runway and a radar installation.

 

[trailrider]

Periodic Operational Readiness Testing is standard operating procedure, to make sure everything is ready and working. You wouldn't want to give the order to launch all missiles with live warheads and have them all blow up in the silos.

There was a novel featuring that event, including nukes detonating in silos or shortly after launch, turning Kansas into a lake of fire...

I would think using the rocket to launch a usable object would be a better way to do the testing. Even if it's a sounding rocket it wouldn't be a total loss.

My uncle used to work at the Radar installation in Kwajalein. These guys are used to being targets for incoming missiles.

This is a pretty small island in the Pacific. Not much more than runway and a radar installation.

In point of fact, Kwajalein is an atoll, with the target being somewhere in the lagoon. The press release keeps referring to the Test unit, which apparently has been shifted to Global Strike Command, as have the three (3) operational wings of 20th Air Force (consisting of the wings at Warren, Minot and Malmstrom AFB). I don't know how they do things now, but 40 years ago they would take a "bird" from one of the ops "holes", replace the bomb with a CTLI (Command, TeLemetry and Instrumentation) package and dummy warhead, take it out to Vandy along with the missile maintainers and a launch crew(s) from the base of origin, have the maintainers install and activate the missile, and then the launch team would sit "alert" until they got their "go codes" over the phone. They would then launch the missile. The "capsule drivers" didn't know when the go order was coming, though the maintainers usually did. This was to give the launch officers as close to operational conditions as possible. It also gave as much of an indication of the readiness of a random sampling of a missile as you could get.

Dispite the end of the Cold War, it is necessary that such exercises be done to keep the missile "leg" of the nuclear deterrence triad ready to respond to whatever threat may develop in the world. While some may see this as "Mutually Assured Destruction", the whole point is to make potential adversaries understand that our ability to inflict severe damage to them, and HOPEFULLY to thus keep "the other side's" (whoever it might, IF they are rational) fingers off their triggers. This worked for the Cold War. We pray that it will do the same now.