Talk:LGM-30 Minuteman

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[edit] Page title

Other missile's pages have the exact name (like LGM-118A Peacekeeper) as page title. Titles like "Peacekeeper (missile)" redirect there. Should this be changed here? Ospalh 14:25, 6 April 2007 (UTC)

Why is it not mentioned that mach 23 is TERMINAL phase speed. It creatres the illusion that american missile has thta speed as avergae, which its impossible. I made corrections, please do not delete them. There is no room for argument here, 40 tons missile can not go mach 23 average, hence 15000 mph is terminal phase speed only.

[edit] Please Add this

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/02/07/missile.test/index.html --172.159.50.10 02:14, 8 February 2007 (UTC)

Wikipedia: WikiProject Rockets may provide guidance for developing this article. Rmhermen 20:07, Jan 7, 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Query

Article says

   Most are capable of a near 100-Megaton blast.

But this sounds too big? Most warheads have a yield less than 0.5Mt. Number of warheads, about 10??? So surely this figure should be more like '5-Megaton' at most? Where does the 100Mt come from? 131.111.48.116 19:34, 8 January 2007 (UTC) David MacKay

On Dec 31, an anonymous editor vandalized the article, adding that phrase, and nobody noticed until today when you did. I have this article on my watch list but didn't catch it. I have fixed the vandalism. The largest single warhead on a Minuteman would be the enhanced W87, at 475 kilotons. The alternate combinations of three W78 warheads at 335 to 350 kilotons each, for roughly a one megaton total load, or three W62 warheads at 170 kilotons each for around a half megaton. Georgewilliamherbert 01:15, 9 January 2007 (UTC)

Should be LGM-30G instead of LGM-30 to standardize it with LG-118A

 Actually Minuteman existed as first the LGM-30F and then the LGM-30G.

   You're right.  I mean, there's no doubt that it existed as both 30F and 30G, as well as
   the 30A and 30B. The difference between the PK and the MM being that the PK has only been
   the A model, as opposed to multiple models, as I think you meant.  Cory

My problem with the article is that the missile is described as being a GUIDED missile. "ballastic" and "guided" are mutually incompatable terms. If a missile is ballastic, by definition, it is incapable of being guided and vice versa. Minuteman used a targeting program that took into account a variety of variables to determine thrust duration and staging neccessary to arrive on target. The target however was ordered by the Launch Control Officer PRIOR to takeoff. Although MM had a variety of sensors to moniter attitude and accelleration and could make minor course corrections based on its feedback circuts by utilizing standard mass\velocity\accelleration determinants -once it was launched it could not be guided to another target hence the "B" in ICBM; "ballistic".

 "silo-launched (L)"
 "surface-attack (G)"
 "guided missile (M)."
 
 It is inertially GUIDED, hence a guided missile.  Closed-loop guidance.  
 It's not ballistic until after this guided phase.  Cory

The entry is well written, however you need to remove the information about the third stage, as a former Minuteman Missile tech I must informe you that that information is classified and can result in criminal charges being filed


The article says:

   The Propulsion Replacement Program extends the life, maintains the performance, and improves the
   reliability of the operational ICBM force by replacing the old solid propellant boosters
   (downstages) with new “environmentally friendly” booster.

Is the "environmentally friendly" bit a joke? These are nuclear missiles what is the relevance of an environmentally friendly booster stage?! 85.211.133.8 02:41, 11 July 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Various

F.E. Warren has been listed as having 200 birds, but only three Squadrons. It's been 30 years, but I recall that it's 50 birds to a Squadron, like Malmstron. So isn't there a Squadron missing? As to above allegation of classified info, only someone that has signed the paper can be charged. If you get info from a public source, like Aviation Leak, er Week. You are off the hook. Ralph 31Jan06

There are no Minuteman in Vandenberg AFB stationed. Vandenberg is today only a test site. I am also a former MM3 missile mechanic. The classroom discussion that discussed the stage termination scheme was unclassified, so I doubt that this is classified information. In addition, this was freely discussed by the Minot Boeing on-site rep in open area discussion.

But, unless I have incorrect information here, I think that the thrust termination scheme as currently written is in error. As I was taught, and as was supported by the tech rep, the method of third stage thrust termination is as follows: at time of desired thrust termination, two events happen in close time proximity: the third stage to PSRE linear charge detonates, which separates the third stage from the upper part. At the same time (or close to it, I don't remember the exact timing) the six thrust termination ports also open. Those were fired by linear charges and to make sure that the six opened at the same time, the cordite (or whatever it was, we always just called it cordite) were of the same length. The net effect of this was to open another avenue for the hot gasses to exit, and as the total area of the six ports was more than the nozzle throat, the result was in effect a retro firing. This not only effected a clean stage separation, but also served to back the third stage away from the PSRE/guidance section/payload bus. And, as is currently stated, this also served as a method of exact thrust termination, obviously very important with the mission involved.

Anyhow, that is how the training was presented and also how the tech rep said it worked. I've long since tossed my training manuals (which I think may have also agreeed with this) so cannot give a hard document for the above.

Comments?

Regards, 63.245.176.221 05:37, 22 August 2006 (UTC)Jim

[edit] Reply

F.E. Warren originally had four squadrons dedicated to Minuteman, but had to 'give up' one to the LGM-118A Peacekeeper system in the early 1980s (400th MS). At one time, the 400th *did* have Minuteman I and III missiles. Tdrss (1 Feb 06)

[edit] Peacekeeper demise

I removed "This idea was evidently discarded because of security problems of having nuclear weapons rumble by neighborhoods and cities on railroad tracks." from the paragraph on Peacekeeper. I don't believe there was any serious plan to run missile trains through cities. In any case, the discussion belong in the Peacekeeper article. I also restored info on the third stage shutdown mechanism from the edit history. If the US Govt has concerns about the info being here, that are proper channels for communicating that.--agr 19:17, 17 April 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Reply

You are correct about the classification level on the thrust termination ports. I spoke with a representative of the OSI, and he confirmed that it was not classified information. On another note, Why, if the technology is not clasified, didn't they use TT ports on the shuttles solid boosters? It would provide a safety feature in case of accidental ignition during main engine tests as depicted in the Space Camp movie. 70.180.55.248 22:17, 31 October 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Minuteman III LGM30G

In the paragraph titled Minuteman III (LGM-30G), there are a couple of items that should be corrected. The picture from the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum shown is the complete NS20 guidance system, not the HDC-701 computer. Starting at the top center of the picture and moving clockwise the major components one can see are the Gyrostabilized Platform, the D37D computer, the P92A Amplifier, and the Missile Guidance Set Control. While Honeywell was indeed a second source to Autonetics for development of a computer, the Honeywell HDC-701 computer was never fielded and the D37D remained the NS20 guidance system computer until upgraded by the Guidance Replacement Program. In fact, obsolete electronics and increasing failures of the D37D, especially the wet slug tantalum capacitors, were a primary justification for approving the Guidance Replacement Program.Sscbm (talk) 19:47, 14 April 2008 (UTC)