Minuteman III
The Minuteman III is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) which is currently part of the nuclear arsenal of the United States. It was the first nuclear weapon to ever be configured in multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle (MIRV) configuration (it could hold three nuclear warheads per missile), however to comply with the SALT II treaty the US deMIRVed the missile. There are currently 530 Minuteman III Missiles in active service.[1]
History
The 741st Strategic Missile Squadron gained its first Minuteman III silo on April 17th, 1970. Minutman II silos were retrofitted at Mynot Air Force Base, North Dakota, to support the improved design. By July 1975, the United States' arsenal of Minuteman II misses was 450, while the count of Minuteman III missiles had risen to 550.[2]
