Safeguard Program

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The international safeguards system is a system of treaties and inpections administered and conducted by the IAEA to hinder nuclear weapons proliferation.
The MSR overlooks missile launchers at the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard complex in Nekoma, North Dakota.
The MSR overlooks missile launchers at the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard complex in Nekoma, North Dakota.

The Safeguard Program was a United States Army anti-ballistic missile system developed in the late 1960s. Several sites were planned in the United States, but only one was completed. Until the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense system was deployed, the Stanley R. Mickelsen Safeguard complex in Nekoma, North Dakota, with the separate long-range detection radar located further north near the town of Cavalier, North Dakota, was the only operational anti-ballistic missile system ever deployed by the United States. It defended Minuteman ICBM silos near Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota.

It had reinforced underground launchers for thirty Spartan and sixteen Sprint nuclear tipped missiles (an additional fifty or so Sprint missiles were deployed at four remote launch sites). The complex was deactivated in 1976 after being operational for less than four months.

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[edit] Original deployment plan

Plans were made in the late 1960's to deploy Safeguard systems in three locations, Whiteman AFB , Missouri, Malmstrom AFB, Montana, and Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota to protect key strategic weapons assets. However the Whiteman location was canceled despite the fact that specific site locations had already been selected. Construction actually commenced on the North Dakota and Montana sites, but only the North Dakota site was completed. Remnants of the incomplete PAR system still remain in rural Montana.

[edit] Components

The Safeguard system consisted of three primary components, a Perimeter Acquisition Radar, Missile Site Radar and Remote Sprint Launchers.

[edit] Perimeter Acquisition Radar (PAR)

The PAR, now known as PARCS, is still operational as of 2006.
The PAR, now known as PARCS, is still operational as of 2006.
See also: Cavalier Air Force Station

The PAR is a large phased array radar which was intended to detect incoming ballistic missiles as they crossed over the north pole. This information was to be relayed to other command and control sites. Two were intended to be constructed on the northern border of the United States, one in Montana and one in North Dakota. Construction was initiated at both locations, but because of the ABM treaty only the North Dakota site was completed. As of 2006, the North Dakota site, near Cavalier, North Dakota, is still operational and located at Cavalier Air Force Station 48°43′55″N, 97°54′16″W. Remnants of the Montana site are located east of Conrad, Montana at 48°17′15.83″N, 111°20′32.39″W(not shown on topo, but visible on the aerial photo). Potential targets detected by the PAR would be sent to the Missile Site Radar and NORAD. The PAR is listed in the Historic American Engineering Record, survey ND-9-P.

[edit] Missile Site Radar (MSR)

The Missile Site Radar was the center of the Safeguard system, it housed the computers and a phased array radar necessary to track and engage incoming ICBMs. The radar building itself is a pyramid structure several stories tall. Construction was initiated in both Montana and North Dakota, but only the North Dakota site remains. The North Dakota site is still standing and can be seen north of Nekoma, North Dakota at 48°35′21.91″N, 98°21′24.26″W. The remnants of the Montana system were dismantled and buried, it was possibly located at 48°08′25.77″N, 111°45′26.16″W. Structures similar to the North Dakota site can be seen on aerial images of that site. The MSR complex included Spartan and Sprint missile launchers. The MSR is listed in the Historic American Engineering Record, survey ND-9-B.

[edit] Remote Sprint Launchers (RSL)

Remote Sprint Launchers were established around the MSR main complex to position missiles closer to their intended targets. Sprint missiles were shorter ranged than the larger Spartan and it was beneficial to place them at remote sites to shorten the time to intercept their targets. Four sites were completed and still remain as of 2006, 10 to 20 miles around the MSR complex in Nekoma, North Dakota.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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