Yeah they are intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that were
dangerous as hell and one even blew up ina silo in Little Rock AR sometime
back due to sloppy maintainers dropping a large socket that shoul have been
lanyarded. They used a hydrazine based fuel and when the fuel was exposed to
oxgen (air) it became self explosive. They should all have been
decommisioned exct the ones used by NASA for satellite launches. The
Atlas's, Thors, etc are all gone unless they are in use as launch boosters.
We still have ICBMs but they are all solid propellant now. Even the ones on
subs (poseidons, etc)are ICBMs. As long as they can be launched way in to
the upper atmosphere to be able to plummet down on the selected target
somewhere across the earth, hence the intercontinetal and the ballistic.
Cruise missiles don't fall into this category. They are launched (usually)
from an aircraft and power themselves at a relatively aircraft-like flight
to the target. They are also too short ranged to be intercontinetal, about
1500 miles for an ALCM. They can do a "ballistic" delivery in that near the
target they can climb to their maximum ceiling and then cut power and glide
like a rock into the selected target area.
The two main land-based ICBMs left are the "Peacekeeper" (aka MX) and the
Minuteman III.
See these two pages if you're interest is there:
http://www.af.mil/news/factsheets/LG_118A_Peacekeeper.html
http://www.af.mil/news/factsheets/LGM_30_Minuteman_III.html
I used to work tactical missiles and smart bombs, then went to cruise
missiles the second half of my time in the AF. See
http://www.af.mil/news/factsheets/AGM_86B_C_Missiles.html
I worked a lot with the Minuteman II and III stuff as well as the
Peacekepper/MX as well. People in California near Vandenburg know of all t
he launches they do out there.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> [mailto:owner-classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org]On Behalf Of Chad Fernandez
> Sent: Thursday, April 12, 2001 2:55 PM
> To: classiccmp_at_classiccmp.org
> Subject: Re: Arizona trip
>
>
> Titans are the big ICBM's right? Have they been replaced with something
> else, or do we not have any ICBM's anymore? I know Subs (Boomers) have
> a lot of our missles now.
>
> Chad Fernandez
> Michigan, USA
>
> Mike Ford wrote:
>
> > BTW a really neat spot south of Tucson is the ONLY Titan
> missile site still
> > intact, and its open for tours.
Received on Thu Apr 12 2001 - 18:07:28 BST