Date: 15 Apr 92 09:11:54 GMT
From: axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au (Iain Sinclair)
Newsgroups: aus.flame
Subject: Re: Accidental ICBM Launch
Reply-To: axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au
Organization: University of Technology, Sydney


[sci.military]

You know, it's articles like this that make me proud to be part of
the human race.


jlp@math.byu.edu (Jan L. Peterson) writes:
 >Well, I've been in a below ground trainer LCC (Launch Control Complex)
 >at Vandenberg AFB as well as an above ground trainer at Malmstrom AFB
 >and have actually participated in a key-turn exercise in a trainer.
 >Although this was several years ago, here's what I can remember about
 >the Minuteman launch procedures:
 >
 >A Minuteman wing is composed of five LCCs, each associated with ten
 >LCs (the actual missile silo).  Therefor, a Minuteman wing has fifty
 >missiles at it's disposal under the authority of ten men (two in each
 >LCC).  In order for a missile to launch, it must receive two launch
 >votes from two separate LCCs.  These votes must arrive within some
 >small number of minutes of each other.  On receipt of the first launch
 >vote, alarms sound in all five LCCs in the wing.  Each deputy launch
 >officer has a board that can display the status of his squadron's
 >missiles and an auxiliary board that can be used to select a display
 >of any of the other four squadron's missiles.  Any LCC can issue a
 >launch inhibit command through a similar procedure that is used to
 >issue a launch vote (i.e. both launch officers must issue a key-turn).
 >
 >In a go-to-war situation, the crews will have known that situations
 >were escalating and will have been instructed by a command authority
 >to remove their keys from locked boxes located in each LCC.  In the
 >event that this happened, the door of the LCC would be closed (in 
 >normal operations, the door is left open).  If necessary, another
 >instruction from a command authority will require the crew members to
 >insert their keys in the switches.  This action cannot be reversed.
 >Once the keys have been inserted, it takes a maintenance person
 >several hours to remove them.  (One of my old AFROTC instructors -- at
 >that time Capt. Brockman -- told us of one time when he was on alert
 >that the world situation escalted to the point where they inserted
 >keys.  It only happened once in his four years in the missile field.)
 >
 >If it is determined that we are going to war, a command authority (I
 >believe this has to be the President) will instruct that the weapons
 >be launched.  At this point, the launch officers will have a count and
 >will turn their keys (they must both turn within some small amount of
 >time, but I can't remember the exact time limit).  This issues one
 >launch vote.  Another LCC will issue another launch vote.  They must
 >do so within some small number of minutes (I think two).  At this
 >point, the missile launch sequence will be started.
 >
 >Depending on the target profile, some missiles will launch right away,
 >some will wait a set time and then launch, and some will be held for a
 >second strike (requiring additional launch votes).
 >
 >In the event that all five LCCs are destroyed without being able to
 >launch their missiles, an Airborne Command Post aircraft (based on a
 >KC-135) can fly over the missile and issue a launch order directly.
 >I'm not familiar with procedures on the ACP, however.
 >
 >With Minuteman I and Minuteman II, setting the target data and launch
 >profile requires a trip out to the missile.  With the Minuteman III
 >(and I presume the MX, none were in service when I was learning all of
 >this), the missile can be programmed from the LCC.
 >
 >Sorry this is so long.  I hope this reassures some of you.  It is very
 >very unlikely that any Minuteman missile was ever launched accidently.
 >
 >> 2).  The double-key scenario - what would they do if one
 >> of the officers decided NOT to turn the key.  According to the
 >> story, they worked out an alternative.  Take a string, wrap
 >> it around the key a few times, then bring the string over to
 >> your position, and when needed, just pull the string.
 >
 >I've participated in a launch exercise where I was acting as the
 >deputy launch officer and turned the key (this was in a simulator).
 >The key is not easy to turn.  I doubt you would be able to turn it
 >with a pulled string.  Also, the consoles are at right angles to each
 >other, so you would need to rig some sort of pully mechanism.
 >
 >It takes two launch votes from any two LCCs in the wing, so if one LCC
 >did not issue it's launch vote (for any reason), the launch could
 >still take place.


--
Iain Sinclair   axolotl@socs.uts.edu.au                             ne cede.
Newsgroups: aus.flame