The Improved Launch Control System was a system used by the

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the air service branch of the United States Armed Forces, and is one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Originally created on 1 August 1907, as a part of the United States Army S ...

Minuteman Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...

II intercontinental ballistic missile force. The system was a method to transfer targeting information from a Minuteman launch control center to an individual missile by communications lines. Prior to the Improved Launch Control System, new missile guidance had to be loaded at the launch facility; the process usually took hours.

History

The Improved Launch Control System was operational at most Minuteman II wings (except the

44th Missile Wing The 44th Missile Wing (44 MW) is an inactive United States Air Force unit. Its last assignment was with Twentieth Air Force, being assigned to Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota. It was inactivated on 4 July 1994. For over 40 years the 44th was a ...

, which was never upgraded) by the late 1970s. Minuteman III wings had a similar install, designated

Command Data Buffer Command Data Buffer (CDB) was a system used by the United States Air Force's Minuteman ICBM force. CDB was a method to transfer targeting information from a Minuteman Launch Control Center to an individual missile by communications lines. Prior t ...

, providing the newer system the potential for remote retargetting.

Phaseout

The system was phased out in mid-1990s by the retirement of the Minuteman II force, and the inactivation or reapportioning of units to Minuteman III. It was replaced by the

Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting System The United States Air Force's Rapid Execution and Combat Targeting System (REACT) is a modification of the LGM-30 Minuteman launch control centers (LCC's) that provides continual monitoring and rapid retargeting of Minuteman Minutemen were mem ...

Chronology

*1979 **1 Mar - 341 SMW's 490th Strategic Missile Squadron completes the Improved Launch Control System upgrades, at a cost of $365 million.Globalsecurity.org: "490th Missile Squadron"
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References

United States nuclear command and control Cold War weapons of the United States Nuclear weapons of the United States Weapons and ammunition introduced in 1979 1979 in military history 1979 in science 1979 establishments in the United States {{nuclear-weapon-stub

History

Phaseout

Chronology

See also

References