Life Extension Programs Modernize Minuteman III ICBMs

BARKSDALE AFB, La. | Fifty years ago, officials deployed the first Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles to the missile fields in support of the strategic deterrence mission. Five decades later, these missiles are still in place, providing safe, secure and effective strategic nuclear deterrence.

Since it first deployed, a number of state-of-the-art improvements and modernization programs have helped the Minuteman system continue its deterrence mission with improved reliability that supports the missile's remarkable 99 percent alert rate. Air Force Global Strike Command officials continue to modernize the weapon system through a series of extensive Minuteman III Life Extension Programs.

Nearly the entire missile has been refurbished, including the flight controls and propellant in all three stages, the guidance system and the Propulsion System Rocket Engine.

"We are checking and balancing everything, but they are basically new missiles except for the shell," said Michael Knipp, ICBM program analyst. "Over the last decade we've done more than $7 billion worth of upgrades to 450 missiles."

In addition to the missile itself, a number of upgrades to the Minuteman III ground systems have been made. Those include upgrade to various electronic, cryptographic and security systems, Knipp said.

The last of the Life Extension Programs that will take the platform through the year 2020 are scheduled to be completed in 2015.

Teikovo Division Gets Full Arsenal of New Missile Systems

The Teikovo missile division of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces (SMF), based in central Russia, has been fully equipped with advanced Topol-M and Yars ballistic missile systems, the defense ministry said on Thursday.
“The Teikovo division has become the first SMF division fully rearmed with fifth-generation mobile missile systems,” the ministry spokesman Col. Vadim Koval said.
Two regiments of the Teikovo division are equipped with Topol-M systems while the other two regiments of the division are equipped with Yars systems.
The Yars missile system is armed with the multiple-warhead RS-24 intercontinental ballistic missile that has considerably better combat and operational capabilities than the Topol-M (SS-27 Stalin).
Two more missile divisions have started receiving the Yars systems in 2012, Koval said.
The Novosibirsk division (in Siberia) will receive mobile Yars systems, while the Kozelsk division (in central Russia) will be armed with the silo-based version of the system.

The SMF said last year that the Topol-M and RS-24 ballistic missiles would be the mainstay of the ground-based component of Russia's nuclear triad and would account for no less than 80% of the SMF's arsenal by 2016.

Russia to Build New ICBM by 2018 - SMF Chief

Russia will build a new heavy intercontinental ballistic missile by 2018, Strategic Missile Forces commander Col. Gen. Sergei Karakayev said on Monday.
“Construction of the missile is ongoing,” he said. “It is to be completed by 2018.”
The new missile is to replace the R-36M2 Voyevoda (NATO reporting name SS-18 Satan) missile.
So far all of Russia’s recent ICBM projects, both sea-launched (Bulava) and ground-based (Topol-M, Yars), have been solid fuel.
Karakayev said the new ICBM will have a launch mass of around 100 tons with a better payload-launch weight ratio than in a solid fuel missile.

Such ICBMs can only be deployed in silos.
The Russian Defense Ministry previously said that unless the United States abandons its plans to create a missile defense system in Europe, Russia will take counter measures, including the building of a new heavy liquid-propellant missile.

China tests new generation ICBM capable of carrying 10 nuclear warheads

China today announced testing of a new generation of inter-continental ballistic missile, Dongfeng-41, with a strike range of 14,000 km and capable of carrying multiple nuclear warheads.

"China last month tested a new generation of intercontinental ballistic missile, the Dongfeng-41, or DF-41, which is believed to have a maximum strike distance of 14,000 km," the state-run CCTV said in a brief report.

The television also showed a rare footage of its missile unit in action, which included the formation of new mobile women's missile wing.

It quoted experts of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission as saying that as many as 10 nuclear warheads can be put on the missile.


Last week state-run Global Times reported that China was developing the capability to put multiple warheads on intercontinental ballistic missiles.

The CCTV report followed New York Times article that said China has developed a new generation of inter-continental and submarine launched missiles capable of carrying as many as 10 nuclear warheads, increasing its ability to reach US and to overwhelm missile defence systems.

The US military and intelligence officials say that China has developed the new long range Dongfeng-41 ICBM with mobile launching system making it harder to find and destroy the missile before it is launched, the Times report said.

Separately, the CCTV today carried a report about the People's Liberation Army (PLA) mobile missile units undergoing training in different parts of the country to get used to local and climatic conditions.

Massive trucks with huge missiles were seen moving around and how the troops take positions and fire them.

The report also said the missile unit now have women's wing and shown several women soldiers taking part in missile firing exercises.

The NYT, quoting a Congressional panel, said that US and other western powers might have underestimated the size of China's nuclear arsenal, suggesting that the new reports say that Beijing currently have 55 to 65 ICBM.

The US experts also said that Beijing had separately tested submarine launched missiles in recent weeks, which it could use to outflank American missile defence systems.

China Test Fired 10-MIRV DF-41 ICBM

                                                            China's DF-41 ICBM

China's future 'Dongfeng -41' intercontinental ballistic missiles equipped with nuclear warheads, enough to aim at a population of more than 50,000 U.S. cities and towns." China's Second Artillery missile tests on July 24 to study the Chinese nuclear program at Georgetown University Professor Philip Carbonell to make such a warning. British "Jane's Defense Weekly, 22 (advance), declared that this launch is the latest" Dongfeng -41 "ICBMs, it is not only a substantial increase in the range and can carry up to 10 sub-guided nuclear warheads against different goals. Chinese military experts familiar with the Second Artillery Wei Guoan 21, 2009 interview with the "Global Times" reporter denied that the missile was test-fired "Dongfeng -41", he said, the Second Artillery Corps is developing the third generation of ICBMs to meet Western Description characteristics must be limited to the development of third-generation nuclear weapons, in order to more effectively respond to security challenges. " 　"Jane's Defense Weekly, said that, since 2007, the multiple photos appeared on the Chinese network, Dongfeng -41 missiles 

equipped transport / erection / emission vehicles (TEL) driving on the highway. The report quoted anonymous U.S. officials as saying that the Second Artillery Corps July 24 launch is currently China's most advanced intercontinental missile Dongfeng -41 "" This is the U.S. authorities for the first time confirmed the existence of the missile project. Western concern is, "Dongfeng -41" may be used the multiple warhead independent reentry vehicles (MIRV) technology. The technology is not simply on missile loaded rounds of warheads, but let each sub-warhead has a separate flight trajectory, adjustable track attack different targets. A sub-warhead, so Each ABM interceptor missiles can destroy the effectiveness of the anti-missile system greatly reduced. An Asian military expert told Jane's reporter, "Dongfeng -41" can carry up to 10 sub-guided nuclear warheads, which will severely shaken the U.S. anti-missile system reliability.


　　"Jane's Defense Weekly, said, with the Chinese active duty" Dongfeng -31 "and" Dongfeng-31A "ICBMs," Dongfeng -41 "may also be" cold launch ", that is, by means of an auxiliary power unit missile from the launch barrel ejected missile reaches a certain height and then ignite the main engine flight. Reports have speculated, "Dongfeng -41" belonging to three solid fuel propellant missile, "Dongfeng -31" compared to the former projectile diameter greater length of the longer, more deterrent means warhead load and range. "Dongfeng -41" Russian "Topol-M" intercontinental missile the same TEL three car as a mobile launch platform, more combat flexibility than the DF-31 mobile platforms.

Russia Plans ICBM Test Launch From New Submarine

Russian First Deputy Defense Minister Aleksandr Sukhorukov has said one of the country's new submarines will test launch one of Russia's newest intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).

Sukhorukov said on August 8 that the launch would come from the "Aleksandr Nevsky" but not from the "Yuri Dolgoruky," the first two of the new Borei class submarine, capable of carrying 16 Bulava ICBMs.

The "Yuri Dolgoruky" is the lead vessel but Sukhorukov said "some defects were uncovered during trials" and launches from that submarine were postponed until repairs and modifications were made and new trials were conducted.


Sukhorukov did not say when the launch of Bulava ICBM would happen.

He also said Russian forces would be receiving new cruise missiles this year.


Asian Defence News

Turkey to Build Long-Range Ballistic Missiles

The Turkish Army is planning to build intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) in a bid to show off its military strength and assert its status as a rising great regional power in a tumultuous Middle east.
Ankara’s ICBM ambitions and strategic goals were outlined and approved by the defense industry executive board at a meeting chaired lately by Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and chief of staff Gen. Necdet ozel.
The board agreed to set up a satellite launch center that would enable Turkey to place its own satellites in orbit and launch missiles that can navigate outside of the Earth’s atmosphere.
The Turks have developed their own “SOM cruise missile” which is capable of destroying both stationary and moving targets in both land and sea.  It uses GPS as for its guidance complemented by an advanced navigation and radar systems, allowing the missile to skim the terrain during its flight in order to evade local defence systems.

The SOM cruise missile has a current range of 300 km. The Turkish military and scientists are busy working to extend its range upto 2,500 km. According to some experts, the development of this missile’ capabilities will certainly be used by the Turks to achieve their ICBM goals and acquire inter-continental weaponry.

Asian Defence News