90th Missile Wing LGM 30 Minuteman Missile Launch Sites

Overview

The 90th Strategic Missile Wing was the fifth United States Air Force LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM wing, the fourth with the LGM-30B Minuteman I. In October 1962 construction began over an 8,300-square-mile (21,000 km²) area of Wyoming, Nebraska, and Colorado to construct 200 Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile launch silos. On 1 July 1963, the Air Force activated the 90th SMW Over the next year, four component strategic missile squadrons activated 200 minuteman missiles.

In November 1972, SAC initiated the Minuteman Integrated Improvement Program. The program entailed silo hardening and upgrading command data buffers, which allowed for quicker missile retargeting. In addition to receiving upgraded silos and launcher control facilities, Warren also received new missiles, with the Minuteman I being replaced with LGM-30G Minuteman III between 1973-1975.

In November 1982, in a decision statement for Congress, President Ronald Reagan stated his plan to deploy the MX missile (later designated the LGM-118 Peacekeeper) to superhardened silos located at Warren. In July 1984, construction began for Peacekeeper support facilities at Warren. From 1986 through 1988, 50 Peacekeepers were backfitted into silos formally occupied by Minuteman IIIs of the 400th Strategic Missile Squadron. The 400th achieved initial operational capability with 10 deployed Peacekeepers in December 1986. Full operational capability was achieved in December 1988 with 50 missiles.

All of the 90th Wing's Minuteman III missiles were reduced from three warheads to a single warhead by START I between 1991-2001. Beginning in 2002 the Peacekeepers began to be inactivated for budgetary reasons, and by September 2005 the 400th SMS was inactivated. The three active Minuteman III squadrons are commanded by the 90th Operations Group.

Facilities

The Missile Alert Facility (MAF) consists of a buried and hardened Launch Control Facility (LCC) and an above-ground Launch Control Support Building (LCSB). MAFs were formerly known as Launch Control Facilities (LCFs) but terminology was changed in 1992 with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command (SAC). In addition, a MAF has a landing pad for helicopters; a large radio tower; a large "top hat" HF antenna; a vehicle garage for security vehicles; recreational facilities, and one or two sewage lagoons. The entire site, except for the helicopter pad and sewage lagoons are secured with a fence and security personnel. About a dozen airmen and officers are assigned to a MAF.

The underground LCC Launch Control Center (LCC) contains the command and control equipment for missile operations. It is staffed by the two launch officers who have primary control and responsibility for the 10 underground and hardened Launch Facilities (LF)s within its flight which contains the operational missile. Each of the five LCCs also has the ability to command and monitor all 50 LFs within the squadron. The LF is unmanned, except when maintenance and security personnel are needed.

A squadron is composed of five flights; flights are denoted by a letter of the alphabet with the facilities controlled by the flight being designated by a number, 01 through 11, with 01 being the MAF.

319th Missile Squadron

Activated by Strategic Air Command on 24 May 1963. Organized on 1 October 1963

A-01 (MAF) 10.7 mi SW of Albin WY; 33.3 mi (53.6 km) ExNE of Warren AFB
41°19′44″N 104°15′56″W

A-02 5.0 mi W of Albin WY, 41°25′03″N 104°11′41″W A-03 2.3 mi SxSE of Albin WY, 41°23′17″N 104°04′42″W A-04 8.0 mi SxSW of Albin WY, 41°19′04″N 104°10′29″W A-05 8.0 mi S of Albin WY, 41°18′11″N 104°04′45″W A-06 14.5 mi SxSW of Albin WY, 41°14′33″N 104°15′07″W A-07 19.9 mi SxSW of Albin WY, 41°10′25″N 104°18′05″W A-08 20.6 mi SW of Albin WY, 41°12′55″N 104°23′22″W A-09 15.7 mi SW of Albin WY 41°17′24″N 104°20′52″W A-10 13.7 mi WxSW of Albin WY 41°21′36″N 104°21′00″W A-11 9.7 mi W of Albin WY, 41°25′10″N 104°17′04″W

320th Missile Squadron

Activated by Strategic Air Command on 24 May 1963. Organized on 8 January 1964

F-01 (MAF) 8.9 mi N of Dix NE; 72.8 mi (117.2 km) ExNE of Warren AFB
41°21′49″N 103°29′20″W

F-02 12.7 mi NxNE of Dix NE, 41°24′07″N 103°23′09″W F-03 10.4 mi NE of Dix NE, 41°20′15″N 103°20′23″W F-04 14.0 mi ExNE of Dix NE, 41°19′19″N 103°14′34″W F-05 11.7 mi E of Dix NE, 41°15′08″N 103°15′42″W F-06 5.7 mi ExNE of Dix NE, 41°16′50″N 103°23′41″W F-07 8.9 mi ExSE of Dix NE, 41°11′42″N 103°19′20″W F-08 3.9 mi N of Dix NE, 41°17′29″N 103°28′45″W F-09 5.6 mi WxNW of Dix NE, 41°15′48″N 103°35′13″W F-10 8.4 mi NW of Dix NE, 41°19′53″N 103°35′05″W F-11 12.7 mi NxNW of Dix NE, 41°24′25″N 103°34′20″W

321st Missile Squadron

Activated by Strategic Air Command on 24 May 1963. Organized on 9 April 1964

K-01 (MAF) 10.6 mi WxSW of Potter NE; 71.5 mi (115.1 km) E of Warren AFB
41°08′13″N 103°29′18″W

K-02 5.8 mi WxSW of Potter NE, 41°10′40″N 103°24′47″W K-03 8.7 mi SxSW of Potter NE, 41°06′28″N 103°23′47″W K-04 13.1 mi SxSW of Potter NE, 41°02′22″N 103°24′10″W K-05 14.1 mi SW of Potter NE, 41°03′40″N 103°29′18″W K-06 17.5 mi WxSW of Potter NE, 41°04′38″N 103°35′45″W K-07 22.9 mi WxSW of Potter NE, 41°03′40″N 103°42′09″W K-08 19.4 mi WxSW of Potter NE, 41°07′16″N 103°39′52″W K-09 23.9 mi WxSW of Potter NE, 41°08′05″N 103°45′39″W K-10 14.2 mi W of Potter NE, 41°11′27″N 103°35′07″W K-11 9.2 mi W of Potter NE, 41°13′06″N 103°29′30″W

400th Missile Squadron

Activated by Strategic Air Command on 10 December 1963. Organized on 1 July 1964. Initially equipped with LGM-30B Minuteman Is. With the deployment of the LGM-118A Peacekeeper in 1987, the squadron's 50 Minuteman silos (Flights P through T) were converted to the Peacekeeper for operational duty. The Peacekeepers were retired between October 2002 and September 2005, and the squadron was formally inactivated on 19 September.

P-01 (MAF) 18.0 mi N of Hillsdale WY; 30.1 mi (48.4 km) NE of Warren AFB
41°28′20″N 104°28′04″W

P-02 22.6 mi N of Hillsdale WY, 41°32′20″N 104°26′22″W P-03 19.1 mi NxNE of Hillsdale WY, 41°28′04″N 104°20′11″W P-04 13.9 mi N of Hillsdale WY, 41°24′44″N 104°26′14″W P-05 8.2 mi N of Hillsdale WY, 41°19′49″N 104°27′55″W P-06 13.0 mi NxNW of Hillsdale WY, 41°23′43″N 104°32′21″W P-07 18.3 mi NxNW of Hillsdale WY, 41°27′22″N 104°36′46″W P-08 22.5 mi NW of Hillsdale WY 41°27′44″N 104°45′21″W P-09 21.2 mi NxNE of Hillsdale WY, 41°30′17″N 104°41′24″W P-10 20.9 mi N of Hillsdale WY, 41°30′34″N 104°33′11″W P-11 25.4 mi NxNW of Hillsdale WY, 41°33′25″N 104°38′45″W