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91st Missile Wing LGM-30 Minuteman missile launch sites

Coordinates: 48°24′57″N 101°21′29″W / 48.41583°N 101.35806°W / 48.41583; -101.35806 (Minot AFB)
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Emblem of the 91st Missile Wing

48°24′57″N 101°21′29″W / 48.41583°N 101.35806°W / 48.41583; -101.35806 (Minot AFB)

This is a list of the LGM-30 Minuteman missile Missile Alert Facilities and Launch Facilities of the 91st Missile Wing, 20th Air Force, assigned to Minot AFB, North Dakota.

Overview

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In November 1962, the 455th Strategic Missile Wing was the fourth United States Air Force LGM-30 Minuteman ICBM wing, the third with the LGM-30B Minuteman I. In 1962 and 1963 150 missiles were deployed to silos controlled by three squadrons of 455th in North Dakota. On 25 June 1968 the 91st Bombardment Wing was reassigned to Minot AFB from Glasgow AFB, Montana which was closed and assumed control of the three Minuteman squadrons of the 455th. The senior 91st SMW had organizational roots dating from World War II and had been deployed from Glasgow AFB to Southeast Asia, where it had been flying combat missions with the B-52 Stratofortress during the Vietnam War. The 455th SMW was inactivated.

Between April 1970 and December 1971 the Minuteman I ICBMs were replaced with the LGM-30G Minuteman III. All of the 91st Wing's Minuteman III missiles were reduced from three warheads to a single warhead by START I between 1991 and 2001. The three active squadrons are commanded by the 91st Operations Group.

Facilities

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Missile Alert Facility
Launch Control Center
Minuteman III Launch Facility

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.

Units and locations

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740th Missile Squadron

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Activated by Strategic Air Command on 28 June 1962. Organized on 1 November 1962

Emblem of the 740th Missile Squadron
740th Missile Squadron – Missile Alert Facilities and Launch Facilities
A-02 9.9 mi SE of Karlsruhe, N.D. 48°00′04″N 100°27′15″W / 48.00111°N 100.45417°W / 48.00111; -100.45417 (A-02)
A-03 15.8 mi SE of Karlsruhe, N.D. 47°56′13″N 100°22′08″W / 47.93694°N 100.36889°W / 47.93694; -100.36889 (A-03)
A-04 12.8 mi SxSE of Karlsruhe, N.D. 47°56′00″N 100°28′51″W / 47.93333°N 100.48083°W / 47.93333; -100.48083 (A-04)
A-05 17.3 mi SxSE of Karlsruhe, N.D. 47°52′30″N 100°25′59″W / 47.87500°N 100.43306°W / 47.87500; -100.43306 (A-05)
A-06 18.4 mi SxSE of Karlsruhe, N.D. 47°50′04″N 100°30′58″W / 47.83444°N 100.51611°W / 47.83444; -100.51611 (A-06)
A-07 13.8 mi N of Karlsruhe, N.D. 47°53′37″N 100°35′01″W / 47.89361°N 100.58361°W / 47.89361; -100.58361 (A-07)
A-08 16.8 mi S of Karlsruhe, N.D. 47°51′01″N 100°39′32″W / 47.85028°N 100.65889°W / 47.85028; -100.65889 (A-08)
A-09 6.2 mi SxSW of Karlsruhe, N.D. 48°00′34″N 100°40′22″W / 48.00944°N 100.67278°W / 48.00944; -100.67278 (A-09)
A-10 0.8 mi NxNW of Karlsruhe, N.D. 48°06′09″N 100°37′39″W / 48.10250°N 100.62750°W / 48.10250; -100.62750 (A-10)
A-11 4.1 mi SxSE of Karlsruhe, N.D. 48°02′09″N 100°35′20″W / 48.03583°N 100.58889°W / 48.03583; -100.58889 (A-11)

741st Missile Squadron

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Activated by Strategic Air Command on 28 June 1962. Organized on 1 December 1962

Emblem of the 741st Missile Squadron
741st Missile Squadron – Missile Alert Facilities and Launch Facilities
F-02 5.8 mi E of Makoti, N.D. 47°57′55″N 101°40′37″W / 47.96528°N 101.67694°W / 47.96528; -101.67694 (F-02)
F-03 10.5 mi E of Makoti, N.D. 47°58′46″N 101°34′35″W / 47.97944°N 101.57639°W / 47.97944; -101.57639 (F-03)
F-04 13.3 mi ExSE of Makoti, N.D. 47°55′18″N 101°31′18″W / 47.92167°N 101.52167°W / 47.92167; -101.52167 (F-04)
F-05 12.2 mi SE of Makoti, N.D. 47°51′40″N 101°35′11″W / 47.86111°N 101.58639°W / 47.86111; -101.58639 (F-05)
F-06 7.2 mi SxSE of Makoti, N.D. 47°51′40″N 101°45′43″W / 47.86111°N 101.76194°W / 47.86111; -101.76194 (F-06)
F-07 9.5 mi SxSW of Makoti, N.D. 47°50′03″N 101°52′48″W / 47.83417°N 101.88000°W / 47.83417; -101.88000 (F-07)
F-08 8.3 mi SW of Makoti, N.D. 47°53′30″N 101°56′54″W / 47.89167°N 101.94833°W / 47.89167; -101.94833 (F-08)
F-09 3.6 mi SW of Makoti, N.D. 47°55′07″N 101°50′41″W / 47.91861°N 101.84472°W / 47.91861; -101.84472 (F-09)
F-10 4.6 mi WxNW of Makoti, N.D. 47°58′46″N 101°53′49″W / 47.97944°N 101.89694°W / 47.97944; -101.89694 (F-10)
F-11 1.1 mi NxNE of Makoti, N.D. 47°58′35″N 101°47′32″W / 47.97639°N 101.79222°W / 47.97639; -101.79222 (F-11)

742nd Missile Squadron

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Activated by Strategic Air Command on 18 July 1962. Organized on 1 January 1963

Emblem of the 742d Missile Squadron
742d Missile Squadron – Missile Alert Facilities and Launch Facilities
K-02 2.3 mi WxNW of Kenmare, N.D. 48°41′32″N 102°07′24″W / 48.69222°N 102.12333°W / 48.69222; -102.12333 (K-02)
K-03 4.0 mi SxSW of Kenmare, N.D. 48°37′11″N 102°06′24″W / 48.61972°N 102.10667°W / 48.61972; -102.10667 (K-03)
K-04 8.6 mi SxSE of Kenmare, N.D. 48°33′31″N 102°00′54″W / 48.55861°N 102.01500°W / 48.55861; -102.01500 (K-04)
K-05 13.3 mi SxSE of Kenmare, N.D. 48°29′14″N 102°01′07″W / 48.48722°N 102.01861°W / 48.48722; -102.01861 (K-05)
K-06 15.8 mi S of Kenmare, N.D. 48°26′51″N 102°06′17″W / 48.44750°N 102.10472°W / 48.44750; -102.10472 (K-06)
K-07 15.6 mi SxSW of Kenmare, N.D. 48°28′00″N 102°12′38″W / 48.46667°N 102.21056°W / 48.46667; -102.21056 (K-07)
K-08 12.8 mi SW of Kenmare, N.D. 48°32′42″N 102°16′45″W / 48.54500°N 102.27917°W / 48.54500; -102.27917 (K-08)
K-09 17.5 mi WxSW of Kenmare, N.D. 48°32′40″N 102°24′37″W / 48.54444°N 102.41028°W / 48.54444; -102.41028 (K-09)
K-10 12.3 mi WxSW of Kenmare, N.D. 48°37′03″N 102°20′12″W / 48.61750°N 102.33667°W / 48.61750; -102.33667 (K-10)
K-11 10.3 mi WxNW of Kenmare, N.D. 48°37′04″N 102°12′32″W / 48.61778°N 102.20889°W / 48.61778; -102.20889 (K-11)

References

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Public Domain This article incorporates public domain material from the Air Force Historical Research Agency

Further reading

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  • Maurer, Maurer, ed. (1982) [1969]. Combat Squadrons of the Air Force, World War II (PDF) (reprint ed.). Washington, DC: Office of Air Force History. ISBN 0-405-12194-6.
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