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Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

minutemanmissile.com

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Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#21

Post by pinewurst »

ghaff wrote: post #19
lobochrome wrote: post #10

It's bizarre that this type of information is made publicly available due to freedom of information legislation. What is the benefit? Or is it merely an acceptable side effect of the greater good that FoIA delivers? Not that my curiosity isn't triggered, but...

I guess… Why wouldn’t it be? At some point why would you keep it classified? Funnily enough I’m just reading a book on Draper Labs and there’s a huge amount of detail on old inertial guidance systems.

The book to read is “Inventing Accuracy” by Donald Mackenzie

Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#22

Post by CTDOCodebases »

lobochrome wrote: post #10

It's bizarre that this type of information is made publicly available due to freedom of information legislation. What is the benefit? Or is it merely an acceptable side effect of the greater good that FoIA delivers? Not that my curiosity isn't triggered, but...

Maybe they know the information has already been compromised.

Also what kind of a deterrence is this if the enemy doesn’t know about it?

Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#23

Post by teeray »

jcims wrote: post #14
detourdog wrote: post #3

I feel compelled to post some images of inertial guidance systems. Most of these parts are from the Minuteman 1 although there are some earlier and later guidance system components. The white backplane and the gyroscopes are Minuteman 1 parts. https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0YG4TcsmGWIVSf

>The MGS is an inertial guidance system which directs the flight of the missile. The guidance system operates continuously while the missile is in alert status, thus enabling the missile to be launched in less than one minute. I wonder how often the missile is in alert status? Presumably regular testing? For those just skimming the guidance system info (for Minuteman III) starts on page 49. Looks like they miniaturiz…

Apart from regular testing, I would imagine anything at or above DEFCON 3 would put missiles in alert status. That level requires the USAF to be ready to go in 15 minutes.

Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#25

Post by LargeTomato »

lobochrome wrote: post #10

It's bizarre that this type of information is made publicly available due to freedom of information legislation. What is the benefit? Or is it merely an acceptable side effect of the greater good that FoIA delivers? Not that my curiosity isn't triggered, but...

We want to make sure people believe in the deterrent. If people start to think they could take out all of our nukes somehow that would be dangerous.

Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#26

Post by dopa42365 »

lobochrome wrote: post #10

It's bizarre that this type of information is made publicly available due to freedom of information legislation. What is the benefit? Or is it merely an acceptable side effect of the greater good that FoIA delivers? Not that my curiosity isn't triggered, but...

How many decades of well known mutually assured destruction would you consider adequate to release this information?

Not exactly a new system, surely has been inspected many times by all major nuclear powers over the years.

Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#27

Post by vkou »

LargeTomato wrote: post #25
lobochrome wrote: post #10

It's bizarre that this type of information is made publicly available due to freedom of information legislation. What is the benefit? Or is it merely an acceptable side effect of the greater good that FoIA delivers? Not that my curiosity isn't triggered, but...

We want to make sure people believe in the deterrent. If people start to think they could take out all of our nukes somehow that would be dangerous.

It would almost be as dangerous as us building a system that we think could take out all of their nukes.

Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#28

Post by detourdog »

iab wrote: post #8
detourdog wrote: post #3

I feel compelled to post some images of inertial guidance systems. Most of these parts are from the Minuteman 1 although there are some earlier and later guidance system components. The white backplane and the gyroscopes are Minuteman 1 parts. https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0YG4TcsmGWIVSf

These are great, how did you come across / where did you get them?

I have been collecting Autonetics material since the early days of eBay.

Re: Minuteman Weapon System History and Description (2001) [pdf]

#30

Post by jdubner »

jcims wrote: post #14
detourdog wrote: post #3

I feel compelled to post some images of inertial guidance systems. Most of these parts are from the Minuteman 1 although there are some earlier and later guidance system components. The white backplane and the gyroscopes are Minuteman 1 parts. https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B0YG4TcsmGWIVSf

>The MGS is an inertial guidance system which directs the flight of the missile. The guidance system operates continuously while the missile is in alert status, thus enabling the missile to be launched in less than one minute. I wonder how often the missile is in alert status? Presumably regular testing? For those just skimming the guidance system info (for Minuteman III) starts on page 49. Looks like they miniaturiz…

> I wonder how often the missile is in alert status?

In 1972-74 when I was a Minuteman I launch officer (DMCCC) our 10 missiles were /always/ on alert. You would expect to see 10 green "Strategic Alert" lights across the crew commander's (MCCC's) console unless something was wrong (requiring maintenance or a brief calibration).

IIRC we were in a perpetual state of DEFCON 4 in those days.

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