This is a list of the LGM-30 Minuteman

LGM-30 Minuteman

The LGM-30 Minuteman is a U.S. nuclear missile, a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile . As of 2010, the version LGM-30G Minuteman-III is the only land-based ICBM in service in the United States...

 missile Missile Alert Facilities and Launch Facilities of the 321st Missile Wing, 20th Air Force, assigned to Grand Forks AFB, North Dakota.

Overview

The 321st Strategic Missile Wing was the sixth, and last United States Air Force

United States Air Force

The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...

 LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM wing. In 1962, the Air Force announced that that Grand Forks AFB would be first to deploy the new LGM-30F Minuteman II missile (The previous deployments were all Minuteman I). Flooding during the winter and spring of 1964 and 1965 proved to be a serious issue with the missile silos under construction, as many flooded components, such as diesel generators, had to be returned to the factory for rehabilitation. The Launch Control Centers were built by Sylvania, rather than Boeing which constructed the facilities at the other Minuteman bases and were much larger and had a different underground design. Also, the site designation system at Grand Forks was different. In addition, the Grand Forks launch facilities had a hardened Launcher Equipment Building as opposed to the earlier five Minuteman wings that had softer Launcher Support Buildings.

On 1 November 1964, the 321st SMW was activated by Strategic Air Command

Strategic Air Command

The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...

. As personnel began to report to the 321st, the wing trained for the day when the Minuteman II missile would be placed on alert status. In August 1965, the 321st received its first Minuteman II missile, shipped by train from assembly plant 77 at Hill AFB, Utah. During the following March, the base received the first Minuteman II to be shipped via aircraft, an Air Force first. On 26 April 1966, the 447th Strategic Missile Squadron and its 50 Minuteman II missiles were declared operational. Additional flights came on line throughout 1966. On 7 December the 321st Strategic Missile Wing, with its component 446th, 447th, and 448th Strategic Missile Squadrons, became fully operational.

From December 1971 to March 1973, the 321st converted to LGM-30G Minuteman III missiles. These missiles represented a significant technological advancement, having multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs).

With the restructuring of the Air Force after the end of the Cold War

Cold War

The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...

 in the early 1990s the 321st first came under Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command

Air Combat Command is a major command of the United States Air Force. ACC is one of ten major commands , reporting to Headquarters, United States Air Force ....

 and then Air Force Space Command

Air Force Space Command

Air Force Space Command is a major command of the United States Department of the Air Force, with its headquarters at Peterson Air Force Base, Colorado. AFSPC supports U.S. military operations worldwide through the use of many different types of satellite, launch and cyber operations....

 jurisdiction. In March 1995, the Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC) selected the 321st Missile Wing for deactivation. Initially downgraded to a Group in July 1994, the 321st was inactivated, with its three component missile squadrons on 30 September 1998.

Destruction of silos and control facilities began in October 1999 with A-04 being imploded on 6 October. The last silo (H-22) was imploded on 24 August 2001, being the last US silo destroyed per the 1991 START I

START I

START was a bilateral treaty between the United States of America and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. The treaty was signed on 31 July 1991 and entered into force on 5 December 1994...

treaty. Sites O-0 and N-33 were preserved by the North Dakota State Historical Society as the Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile Site.

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. The first site in each flight is #00 and designates the Missile Alert Facility. The Launch Facilities (LFs, i.e. missile silos) are numbered 01 through 10, 11 through 20, and so on up to 50.

446th Missile Squadron

Activated by Strategic Air Command on 1 November 1963. Organized on 1 July 1965. Inactivated on 30 September 1998

• A-00 (MAF) 6.7 mi SE of Wales ND; 78.9 mi NW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°49′17"N 098°30′48"W

A-01 7.5 mi NE of Wales ND, 48°57′39"N 098°28′16"W

A-02 7.8 mi E of Wales ND, 48°53′56"N 098°26′02"W

A-03 12.1 mi ExNE of Wales ND, 48°57′58"N 098°21′42"W

A-04 12.6 mi E of Wales ND, 48°53′38"N 098°19′39"W

A-05 11.7 mi ExSE of Wales ND, 48°49′49"N 098°22′05"W

A-06 11.8 mi SE of Wales ND, 48°45′48"N 098°26′30"W

A-07 9.7 mi SxSE of Wales ND, 48°45′33"N 098°33′26"W

A-08 7.6 mi NW of Wales ND, 48°58′36"N 098°43′10"W

A-09 4.0 mi NxNW of Wales ND, 48°57′06"N 098°37′53"W

A-10 2.4 mi E of Wales ND, 48°53′38"N 098°33′06"W

• B-00 (MAF) 6.8 mi NxNW of Osnabrock ND; 66.8 mi NxNW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°45′49"N 098°11′36"W

B-11 16.5 mi N of Osnabrock ND, 48°54′28"N 098°08′20"W

B-12 11.2 mi N of Osnabrock ND, 48°49′53"N 098°08′35"W

B-13 12.1 mi NxNE of Osnabrock ND, 48°49′01"N 098°00′25"W

B-14 7.1 mi NxNE of Osnabrock ND, 48°45′47"N 098°05′08"W

B-15 8.5 mi ExNE of Osnabrock ND, 48°43′38"N 097°58′58"W

B-16 1.9 mi N of Osnabrock ND, 48°41′49"N 098°08′28"W

B-17 5.1 mi WxNW of Osnabrock ND, 48°41′11"N 098°15′24"W

B-18 10.3 mi NW of Osnabrock ND, 48°46′39"N 098°18′09"W

B-19 12.5 mi NxNW of Osnabrock ND, 48°50′09"N 098°15′31"W

B-20 19.7 mi NxNW of Osnabrock ND, 48°56′49"N 098°15′04"W

• C-00 (MAF) 5.7 mi NW of Edinburg ND; 48.4 mi NxNW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°32′43"N 097°57′50"W

C-21 3.8 mi NxNE of Edinburg ND, 48°32′43"N 097°49′59"W

C-22 6.3 mi E of Edinburg ND, 48°29′31"N 097°43′43"W

C-23 7.8 mi SE of Edinburg ND, 48°25′24"N 097°44′05"W

C-24 4.6 mi WxSW of Edinburg ND, 48°28′01"N 097°57′25"W

C-25 9.2 mi SW of Edinburg ND, 48°24′14"N 098°00′38"W

C-26 13.5 mi WxSW of Edinburg ND, 48°24′38"N 098°07′46"W

C-27 10.7 mi W of Edinburg ND, 48°29′15"N 098°05′51"W

C-28 10.1 mi ExSE of Edinburg ND, 48°32′44"N 098°04′16"W

C-29 14.8 mi ExSE of Edinburg ND, 48°36′24"N 098°08′26"W

C-30 13.4 mi SE of Edinburg ND, 48°39′14"N 098°02′00"W

• D-00 (MAF) 1.7 mi SxSW of Nekoma ND; 61.5 mi NW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°33′14"N 098°22′50"W

D-31 9.1 mi N of Nekoma ND, 48°42′31"N 098°21′30"W

D-32 4.0 mi N of Nekoma ND, 48°38′05"N 098°21′31"W

D-33 4.7 mi ExNE of Nekoma ND, 48°35′45"N 098°16′18"W

D-34 10.1 mi SE of Nekoma ND, 48°28′57"N 098°12′22"W

D-35 6.7 mi SxSE of Nekoma ND, 48°29′16"N 098°19′15"W

D-36 11.7 mi SxSE of Nekoma ND, 48°24′54"N 098°18′21"W

D-37 7.9 mi SxSW of Nekoma ND, 48°28′29"N 098°26′43"W

D-38 11.0 mi WxNW of Nekoma ND, 48°37′59"N 098°35′50"W

D-39 5.5 mi WxNW of Nekoma ND, 48°37′08"N 098°28′24"W

D-40 10.2 mi NW of Nekoma ND, 48°41′36"N 098°30′37"W

• E-00 (MAF) 4.3 mi SxSW of Hampden ND; 70.4 mi WxNW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°29′01"N 098°41′46"W

E-41 1.7 mi NxNE of Hampden ND, 48°33′48"N 098°38′51"W

E-42 6.8 mi E of Hampden ND, 48°32′56"N 098°30′36"W

E-43 4.8 mi SE of Hampden ND, 48°29′16"N 098°35′15"W

E-44 9.2 mi S of Hampden ND, 48°24′32"N 098°37′11"W

E-45 9.3 mi SxSW of Hampden ND, 48°24′40"N 098°43′15"W

E-46 11.8 mi SW of Hampden ND, 48°24′42"N 098°49′45"W

E-47 14.0 mi WxSW of Hampden ND, 48°27′18"N 098°56′07"W

E-48 8.6 mi WxSW of Hampden ND, 48°29′02"N 098°49′37"W

E-49 10.2 mi E of Hampden ND, 48°33′13"N 098°52′45"W

E-50 4.7 mi E of Hampden ND, 48°32′45"N 098°45′38"W

447th Missile Squadron

Activated by Strategic Air Command on 1 November 1963. Organized on 1 February 1965. Inactivated on 30 September 1998

• F-00 (MAF) 6.3 mi E of Lawton ND; 45.2 mi WxNW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°17′27"N 098°13′52"W

F-01 8.2 mi NE of Lawton ND, 48°22′19"N 098°13′24"W

F-02 12.8 mi E of Lawton ND, 48°18′45"N 098°05′23"W

F-03 17.7 mi E of Lawton ND, 48°18′31"N 097°58′54"W

F-04 22.8 mi W of Lawton ND, 48°18′31"N 097°52′16"W

F-05 23.8 mi WxNW of Lawton ND, 48°13′08"N 097°51′50"W

F-06 11.9 mi ExSE of Lawton ND, 48°14′39"N 098°07′23"W

F-07 6.0 mi SxSE of Lawton ND, 48°13′34"N 098°18′02"W

F-08 1.6 mi SxSW of Lawton ND, 48°16′46"N 098°22′33"W

F-09 8.9 mi ExSE of Lawton ND, 48°21′57"N 098°32′00"W

F-10 4.3 mi NxNW of Lawton ND, 48°21′46"N 098°23′07"W

• G-00 (MAF) 5.3 mi SW of Fordville ND; 26.0 mi WxNW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°09′14"N 097°52′06"W

G-11 9.6 mi N of Fordville ND, 48°20′45"N 097°45′19"W

G-12 12.1 mi SxSW of Fordville ND, 48°21′22"N 097°38′50"W

G-13 5.7 mi NxNE of Fordville ND, 48°16′46"N 097°43′38"W

G-14 9.7 mi SW of Fordville ND, 48°17′19"N 097°37′01"W

G-15 8.0 mi W of Fordville ND, 48°12′53"N 097°37′09"W

G-16 8.8 mi SE of Fordville ND, 48°07′53"N 097°38′26"W

G-17 14.0 mi N of Fordville ND, 48°00′27"N 097°48′53"W

G-18 9.7 mi SxSW of Fordville ND, 48°04′33"N 097°51′25"W

G-19 15.4 mi NxNE of Fordville ND, 48°00′10"N 097°54′49"W

G-20 9.0 mi WxSW of Fordville ND, 48°09′49"N 097°58′24"W

• H-00 (MAF) 5.1 mi N of Michigan ND; 35.1 mi WxNW of Grand Forks AFB
  48°05′46"N 098°06′56"W

H-21 9.9 mi N of Michigan ND, 48°09′50"N 098°05′01"W

H-22 7.6 mi NE of Michigan ND, 48°05′09"N 097°59′12"W

H-23 3.3 mi E of Michigan ND, 48°01′48"N 098°03′05"W

H-24 4.7 mi SxSE of Michigan ND, 47°57′36"N 098°05′16"W

H-25 2.0 mi W of Michigan ND, 48°01′07"N 098°09′50"W

H-26 7.2 mi SW of Michigan ND, 47°57′33"N 098°14′39"W

H-27 6.0 mi NW of Michigan ND, 48°04′37"N 098°13′26"W

H-28 10.7 mi WxNW of Michigan ND, 48°04′35"N 098°20′21"W

H-29 12.3 mi NW of Michigan ND, 48°09′13"N 098°18′07"W

H-30 11.9 mi SxSE of Michigan ND, 48°10′58"N 098°13′06"W

• I-00 (MAF) 6.6 mi ExNE of Tolna ND; 43.1 mi W of Grand Forks AFB
  47°50′54"N 098°17′53"W

I-31 22.4 mi ExNE of Tolna ND, 47°56′36"N 097°59′12"W

I-32 27.0 mi WxSW of Tolna ND, 47°56′19"N 097°52′44"W

I-33 18.4 mi WxSW of Tolna ND, 47°53′14"N 098°03′02"W

I-34 30.7 mi W of Tolna ND, 47°54′22"N 097°47′08"W

I-35 13.0 mi W of Tolna ND, 47°50′01"N 098°09′28"W

I-36 4.2 mi NxNW of Tolna ND, 47°46′17"N 098°24′03"W

I-37 11.0 mi SW of Tolna ND, 47°41′57"N 098°34′40"W

I-38 6.9 mi SxSW of Tolna ND, 47°44′32"N 098°30′54"W

I-39 2.9 mi W of Tolna ND, 47°49′47"N 098°29′55"W

I-40 8.2 mi NE of Tolna ND, 47°55′26"N 098°20′13"W

• J-00 (MAF) 6.0 mi SW of Brocket ND; 51.1 mi WxNW f Grand Forks AFB
  48°09′14"N 098°27′03"W

J-41 4.5 mi WxNW of Brocket ND, 48°13′33"N 098°27′03"W

J-42 10.9 mi SxSW of Brocket ND, 48°04′04"N 098°26′49"W

J-43 17.5 mi SxSW of Brocket ND, 47°59′08"N 098°31′20"W

J-44 16.1 mi NE of Brocket ND, 48°02′30"N 098°35′31"W

J-45 10.9 mi WxSW of Brocket ND, 48°07′44"N 098°33′19"W

J-46 16.1 mi ExNE of Brocket ND, 48°06′20"N 098°39′48"W

J-47 14.1 mi E of Brocket ND, 48°11′00"N 098°39′25"W

J-48 9.2 mi W of Brocket ND, 48°12′41"N 098°33′18"W

J-49 12.9 mi ExSE of Brocket ND, 48°17′53"N 098°36′14"W

J-50 8.2 mi NW of Brocket ND, 48°17′54"N 098°28′43"W

448th Missile Squadron

Activated by Strategic Air Command on 1 November 1963. Organized on 1 September 1965. Inactivated on 30 September 1998

• K-00 (MAF) 9.6 mi NE of Finley ND; 28.1 mi SxSW of Grand Forks AFB
  47°37′01"N 097°42′14"W

K-01 14.4 mi NE of Finley ND, 47°41′05"N 097°39′51"W

K-02 4.9 mi NxNE of Finley ND, 47°34′26"N 097°47′22"W

K-03 10.2 mi N of Finley ND, 47°39′25"N 097°52′36"W

K-04 15.4 mi NxNW of Finley ND, 47°43′40"N 097°54′50"W

K-05 21.7 mi NxNW of Finley ND, 47°48′26"N 097°59′34"W

K-06 12.3 mi NxNE of Finley ND, 47°41′03"N 097°46′13"W

K-07 25.6 mi SxSE of Finley ND, 47°52′23"N 097°56′59"W

K-08 17.3 mi S of Finley ND, 47°45′40"N 097°49′26"W

K-09 21.7 mi S of Finley ND, 47°49′12"N 097°45′00"W

K-10 17.2 mi SxSW of Finley ND, 47°44′48"N 097°43′04"W

• L-00 (MAF) 10.5 mi W of Hope ND; 50.6 mi SxSW of Grand Forks AFB
  47°20′03"N 097°56′24"W

L-11 11.7 mi NxNW of Hope ND, 47°28′56"N 097°47′54"W

L-12 13.8 mi N of Hope ND, 47°31′22"N 097°42′17"W

L-13 7.1 mi NW of Hope ND, 47°23′44"N 097°49′25"W

L-14 7.8 mi N of Hope ND, 47°26′09"N 097°43′35"W

L-15 11.6 mi NxNE of Hope ND, 47°28′43"N 097°37′32"W

L-16 5.2 mi W of Hope ND, 47°19′40"N 097°49′41"W

L-17 5.9 mi SW of Hope ND, 47°15′24"N 097°47′40"W

L-18 9.7 mi WxSW of Hope ND, 47°15′34"N 097°54′01"W

L-19 12.9 mi SW of Hope ND, 47°10′48"N 097°53′36"W

L-20 13.4 mi ExSE of Hope ND, 47°24′55"N 097°58′03"W

• M-00 (MAF) 6.6 mi NE of Pillsbury ND; 49.8 mi SxSW of Grand Forks AFB
  47°16′17"N 097°41′19"W

M-21 19.1 mi SE of Pillsbury ND, 46°59′05"N 097°33′16"W

M-22 5.3 mi E of Pillsbury ND, 47°11′59"N 097°40′55"W

M-23 14.6 mi NxNW of Pillsbury ND, 47°00′34"N 097°41′21"W

M-24 19.3 mi NxNW of Pillsbury ND, 46°56′11"N 097°41′54"W

M-25 16.6 mi N of Pillsbury ND, 46°58′06"N 097°47′02"W

M-26 11.7 mi S of Pillsbury ND, 47°02′21"N 097°47′38"W

M-27 7.7 mi S of Pillsbury ND, 47°05′48"N 097°47′50"W

M-28 12.6 mi NxNE of Pillsbury ND, 47°02′20"N 097°53′35"W

M-29 1.4 mi S of Pillsbury ND, 47°11′16"N 097°47′39"W

M-30 9.3 mi SW of Pillsbury ND, 47°06′27"N 097°55′26"W

• N-00 (MAF) 6.1 mi S of Hannaford ND; 63.5 mi SW of Grand Forks AFB
  47°13′24"N 098°11′30"W

N-31 21.9 mi NxNE of Hannaford ND,47°37′04"N 098°03′59"W

N-32 5.5 mi SW of Hannaford ND,47°22′19"N 098°06′40"W

N-33 10.6 mi NxNE of Hannaford ND,47°26′23"N 098°03′58"W

N-34 21.5 mi SxSW of Hannaford ND,47°35′03"N 097°58′12"W

N-35 17.1 mi SW of Hannaford ND,47°30′32"N 097°58′01"W

N-36 5.7 mi ExSE of Hannaford ND,47°17′33"N 098°04′13"W

N-37 9.3 mi SE of Hannaford ND,47°13′23"N 098°02′19"W

N-38 10.4 mi SxSE of Hannaford ND,47°26′25"N 098°18′06"W

N-39 4.0 mi NxNW of Hannaford ND,47°21′50"N 098°13′26"W

N 40 8.9 mi N of Hannaford ND,47°26′25"N 098°11′38"W

• O-00 (MAF) 3.6 mi N of Cooperstown ND; 47.2 mi SW of Grand Forks AFB
  47°29′51"N 098°07′37"W

O-41 21.6 mi N of Cooperstown ND, 47°45′25"N 098°07′29"W

O-42 16.6 mi S N of Cooperstown ND, 47°41′05"N 098°06′01"W

O-43 20.4 mi SxSW of Cooperstown ND, 47°43′58"N 098°01′40"W

O-44 16.2 mi SxSW of Cooperstown ND, 47°39′25"N 097°58′44"W

O-45 11.2 mi NxNW of Cooperstown ND, 47°35′05"N 098°14′49"W

O-46 16.3 mi SxSE of Cooperstown ND, 47°38′34"N 098°18′44"W

O-47 21.6 mi SxSE of Cooperstown ND, 47°43′42"N 098°19′09"W

O-48 18.6 mi SxSE of Cooperstown ND, 47°42′23"N 098°13′02"W

O-49 13.7 mi S of Cooperstown ND, 47°38′22"N 098°10′46"W

O-50 8.6 mi N of Cooperstown ND, 47°34′08"N 098°08′15"W

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