| Country: |
United States of America |
| Alternate Name: |
LGM-30A/B |
| Class: |
ICBM |
| Basing: |
Silo based |
| Length: |
16.45 m |
| Diameter: |
1.88 m |
| Launch Weight: |
29500 kg |
| Payload: |
Single Mk 11 RV |
| Warhead: |
Nuclear 1.0 MT |
| Propulsion: |
3-stage solid |
| Range: |
10000 km |
| Status: |
Obsolete |
| In Service: |
1962-1969 |
Details
The LGM-30A/B Minuteman I was an intercontinental-range, silo-based, solid propellant ballistic missile. A second-generation US missile, it was the first solid propellant design developed by the United States. It was the first of the family of Minuteman ICBM missiles which was planned to counter the increasing size of the Soviet ICBM force. The Minuteman I, like the rest of the Minuteman series, was a small, reliable, and inexpensive missile designed for large-scale deployment. The missile was revolutionary in that it lacked stabilization wings and fins, relying on internal stabilization mechanisms which have since become standard. The primary producer of the Minuteman I was Boeing.
The Minuteman I was a strategic asset designed to threaten the heartland of the Soviet Union. Equipped with a decently large warhead, the Minuteman I was fully capable of destroying major population centers. However, its accuracy was such that it would have been unable to destroy hardened targets. Protected from attack by both hardened silos and large numbers, the Minuteman I secured the US nuclear attack force against a Soviet strike. During a nuclear conflict, the Minuteman I missiles would have launched over the North Pole to destroy cities in the Soviet Union, compensating for its single warhead and small size with the large numbers.
The LGM-30A Minuteman IA had a range of 10,000 km (6,213 miles) for its single Mark IV Reentry Vehicle (RV). This RV carried a single W-59 nuclear warhead which had a 1 MT yield. The system used an inertial guidance system with a pre-programmed digital computer with an unknown accuracy. This accuracy was probably in the area of 500-1,000 m CEP, given the accuracy on the comparable systems of the day. It had a length of 16.45 m, a maximum body diameter of 1.88 m, and a launch weight of 29,500 kg. It had a three-stage solid propellant design. The LGM-30B Minuteman IB model was identical in all respects to the Minuteman IA except for an increased length of 17.0 m and a slightly greater range.
The Minuteman I missile entered development in the late 1950s with production bids starting in 1958. The first surface launch test occurred in 1961 at Cape Kennedy. The Minuteman IA entered service in 1962 at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana, with the Minuteman IB entering service at four other bases during the following year. The complete run of 800 missiles had been manufactured by June 1965. The Minuteman I series started to be replaced by the LGM-30F Minuteman II in 1965, and all had been retired by 1969. In 1974, it was shown that the Minuteman I could be successfully air-launched from a C-5A transport aircraft.(1)
Footnotes
- Duncan Lennox, Jane’s Strategic Weapons Systems 46 (Surrey: Jane’s Information Group, January 2007), 595-596.
U.S. to Classify Strategic Weapons Data from Cold War
August 21, 2006 :: Washington Post :: News
The U.S. has begun to classify data on strategic weapons during the Cold War, reports The Washington Post. According to a new report by the National Security Archive, a nonprofit research library at George Washington University, the Pentagon and the Department of Energy have designated the historical totals of Minuteman, Titan-2, and other missiles as national security secrets, and are blacking out the information on previously public documents. Other information that will be classified includes the number of missile launchers and the number of heavy bombers that existed during the Cold War. The Archive says that the Pentagon has been using guidelines developed by the Department of Energy in choosing which data to black out. (Article, Link)
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» Missile details: Minuteman I, V-2
U.S. Air Force Completes Minuteman-3 Study
August 15, 2006 :: Jane's Information Group :: News
The U.S. Air Force has completed an Analysis of Alternatives (AoA) study on maintaining and upgrading Minuteman-3 intercontinental ballistic missiles, reports the September 1 issue of Jane’s Missiles and Rockets. Although the two-year study has not been made public, it reportedly states that a force of 450 Minuteman-3 ICBMs would probably be sustainable beyond 2020 if the missiles were properly maintained and continuously upgraded. Such a system would reduce the necessity for the development of new ICBM systems in the near term. The AoA study is also believed to recommend retrofitting the Minuteman-3 missiles with the improved NS-50 inertial system to improve their accuracy. (Link)
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» Missile details: Minuteman I
Minuteman-3 Test Launch Successful
July 20, 2006 :: AP :: News
The U.S. Air Force successfully test launched an unarmed Minuteman-3 intercontinental ballistic missile from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The missile’s three warheads hit a water target near the Marshall Islands approximately 6,700 km from Vandenberg, and the test was said to be a complete success. Minuteman tests take place several times a year for routine testing. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Vandenberg Air Force Base
U.S. Tests Minuteman-3 from Vandenberg
June 14, 2006 :: AP :: News
The U.S. Air Force today successfully test-launched an Minuteman-3 ICBM from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, reports the AP. The missile’s three unarmed reentry vehicles traveled approximately 7,700 km (4,800 miles) in 30 minutes before hitting their pre-determined targets at the Kwajalein Missile Range in the Marshall Islands. According to Air Force officials, the launch’s main purpose was to demonstrate the operational effectiveness of the weapon system. The U.S. has about 500 Minuteman-3 missiles deployed in Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska. The recent Quadrennial Defense Review, however, called for a 10% reduction of the deployed Minuteman ICBMs, to 450. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS), Vandenberg Air Force Base
Minuteman-3 Tested from Vandenberg
April 7, 2006 :: News
An unarmed Minuteman-3 intercontinental ballistic missile was test-launched today from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. The missile’s single, unarmed re-entry vehicle traveled approximately 8,200 km (5,100 miles), striking a pre-determined water target near Guam in the Northern Mariana Islands. The launch was part of a developmental test to demonstrate the weapon’s effectiveness at an extended range. The Minuteman-3 missile originated from the 564th Missile Squadron at Malmstrom Air Force Base, Montana. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Vandenberg Air Force Base
U.S. Tests Minuteman-3 From Vandenberg
February 16, 2006 :: News
The U.S. Air Force today test launched a Minuteman-3 intercontinental ballistic missile. The unarmed missile took off at 12:01 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, and hit a target 4,800 miles away on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. The purpose of the test was to gather data on the weapon and determine whether the Mark-2 re-entry vehicle is effective on the Minuteman-3. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS), Vandenberg Air Force Base
Fourth and Final Minuteman III Test for Year
September 14, 2005 :: News
The Air Force successfully launched an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile early today, the fourth and final Minuteman III test of the year. The missile’s single warhead traveled some 4,000 miles in about 30 minutes to a predetermined target in the Kwajalein Atoll in the Pacific. The last Minuteman test took place on September 7. (Article, Link)
» Washington Post on Minuteman launch
» September 7, 2005 test launch of Minuteman III
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS), Vandenberg Air Force Base
Minuteman III Test
September 7, 2005 :: News
The Air Force launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile early today, the second such test in recent weeks. The missiles’ two unarmed warheads traveled about 4,200 miles in about 30 minutes, hitting targets at the Ronald Reagan Test Site on the Kwajalein Atoll in the western chain of the Marshall Islands. The launch was the third this year. The final, fourth, test of the year is scheduled to take place next week. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS), Vandenberg Air Force Base
Minuteman Missile Test
August 25, 2005 :: News
A Minuteman III missile was successfully tested today from Vandenberg Air Force Base. The missile’s warhead traveled toward and hit its target at the missile range in the Kwajalein Atoll. This test was specifically to demonstrate the integration of a Safety Enhanced Re-entry Vehicle into the existing Minuteman III weapons system. The newer warhead is such as that used for the newer Peacekeeper missiles which are now being deactivated. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS), Vandenberg Air Force Base
Minuteman Test from Vandenberg
July 21, 2005 :: AP :: News
The U.S. successfully test-launched a Minuteman III ballistic missile on July 21. The missile’s dummy warhead was launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, and traveled more than 4,000 miles in 30 minutes, finally striking a pre-determined target at the Reagan Test Site in the Marshall Islands.
The Minuteman III is an intercontinental-range, silo-based, solid propellant ballistic missile system, with a range of 13,000 km. (Article, Link)
» More stories on: Testing - American
» Missile details: Minuteman I
» Missile system details for: Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site (RTS), Vandenberg Air Force Base
