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.

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.

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.

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.

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 

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.

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.

Medium and Intercontinental Range Ballistic Missiles

Medium and Intercontinental Range Ballistic Missiles. China is capable of targeting its nuclear forces throughout the region and most of the world, including the continental United States. Newer systems, such as the DF-31, DF-31A, and JL-2, will give China a more survivable nuclear force.