LGM-30G Minuteman III

We're less comfortable with expl- e- being a- able to explain, you know, why 1952, why 1957, why 1975.

In 1974, '75, could I tell you that they're interested in revisiting all of the ICBM bases because that's the year when we moved to Minuteman III and put multiple reentry warheads on them and exponentially increased our ability for atomic war fighting? I could say that.

It may be true.

But there, you know, there, I have less confidence in saying that as I do in the scenario analysis.

We've never had a submarine out in the water beyond 40 years, but we do now.

The ICBMs are 55 years old, Minuteman III.

And the B-52 was first built 70 years ago.

So we've got very old systems that I have to hats off to the industry and the Air Force and the Navy for keeping these things alive and well.

And, uh, this organization, the acronym was SAMSO, uh, developed ballistic missiles.

Uh, at the time they were working on Minuteman III and eventually MX.

And in the process of spending two years at SAMSO, I learned a lot about ballistic missiles and what they could do, especially when it comes to defeating the other side's defenses.

Because I started at SAMSO in 1970, and you remember it was in 1972 when we had the first SALT agreement, and that SALT agreement put a cap on ballistic missile defense.

Rather than scrapping it at that point, the Pentagon was forced to take a look at it by law and actually said, "No, we're gonna keep doing this, but now it's gonna be 81% over budget." By the way, we filed a FOIA request, Freedom of Information Act request, over two years ago for the documents around that decision, which shouldn't have been classified or anything, and we still haven't gotten a look at their rationale for that.

As far as we're concerned, we should just get rid of the whole land-based leg of the nuclear triad, so intercontinental ballistic missiles, whether it's the, the Minuteman III that we currently have or this new Sentinel program.

It's the most vulnerable leg of the triad.

Everyone knows where these silos are, and we have more than enough firepower on our subs and bombers to ensure nuclear deterrence.

The LGM-35A Sentinel is built by Northrop Grumman, and it is the designated replacement for one of the longest-serving weapon systems in American military history.

The LGM-30 Minuteman III has been the backbone of the United States land-based nuclear deterrent for over fifty years.

Fifty years.

To put that in aviation terms, the Minuteman III was already in silos when the Douglas DC-9 was still a relatively new airliner.

It has outlasted aircraft programs, space programs, and entire geopolitical eras.

The Minuteman III entered service in nineteen seventy.

The weapon was designed, engineered, and deployed during a Cold War arms race that no longer exists in the same form.

And yet there it sat in hardened silos across Montana, North Dakota, Wyoming, Colorado, and Nebraska, maintained and upgraded over the decades, but fundamentally the same missile.

But not only that, according to the secretary of the Air Force, Troy Mink, the military already has a space weapon that orbits around Earth.

The secretary also mentioned that the Air Force plans to conduct the first launch pad test of the Sentinel Intercontinental Ballistic Missile next year, which will replace the 50-year-old Minuteman III program.

Amazing to think about these things orbiting above our heads in the skies, but keeping us safe.

And obviously the Trump administration is creating structures of deterrence, so it's no surprise that they've got something up there that's aiming to protect us.

Uh, our capabilities have to be unquestioned, and the ability to execute at a moment's notice have to be a given, and they are.

And as a result, it's, it's a valuable deterrent, and it will continue to be as we transition from Minuteman III to Sentinel.

Sir, uh, it is an honor and pleasure having you on the program, uh, and already looking forward to having you back on for an even more extended discussion.

Thanks so much.