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I live several miles from a Minuteman silo in Montana, maintained by Malmstrom Air Force Base. The underground cabling between sites is also an interesting read

I live several miles from a Minuteman silo in Montana, maintained by Malmstrom Air Force Base. The underground cabling between sites is also an interesting read (https://minutemanmissile.com/hics.html https://minutemanmissile.com/hics.html). Anytime I want to dig on my property, I have to make sure it won't interfere with their pressurized cables. I have heard a story from someone that did accidentally cut a cable, and Malmstrom AFB was able to locate the break and respond rapidly. I am a volunteer firefighter, and our station has a VHS tape and a paper guide titled "Incident Guide for Missile Field Fire Response" provided to us by the DoD regarding our role in responding to fiře incidents near or at a silo. A year or so ago, we did respond to a fire near a silo, but it occurred entirely outside the security fencing. My understanding is that the personnel at the silos also have their own ability to respond to fires.

nonethewiser 2y ago
> Anytime I want to dig on my property, I have to make sure it won't interfere with their pressurized cables. Sounds like a serious weak point
- cpgxiii 2y ago
  The missile silos and control facilities are connected in a sort of semi-mesh topology, so any one cable break is unlikely to cause a communications failure. There are backup launch control interfaces available via airborne platforms (specifically the E-6 today) as well. Digging into one of the cables is going to get you a prompt and unpleasant visit from base security.
  - deleted 2y ago
    [deleted]
  - toomuchtodo 2y ago
    https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41019604 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41019604 https://computer.rip/2024-07-20-minuteman-missile-communications.html https://computer.rip/2024-07-20-minuteman-missile-communicat...
- preisschild 2y ago
  They have redundancy. But they obviously want to know where it happened in case it was sabotage.
- bunabhucan 2y ago
  Image showing the layout/redundancy of the communications: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-30_Minuteman#/media/File%3AHICS_Lines_Connectivity2.PNG https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-30_Minuteman#/media/File... There are alternate ways to launch the missiles (e.g. radio from a plane) in the event of an attack.
kev009 2y ago
The tape is probably a reponse to some infamous disasters/tragedies: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-25C_Titan_II#Mishaps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-25C_Titan_II#Mishaps * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_Searcy_missile_silo_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_Searcy_missile_silo_fire * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Damascus_Titan_missile_explosion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Damascus_Titan_missile_ex...
beerandt 2y ago
How different is it than a standard 811 utility-locate call? Actual change in procedure? Or just extra cheek-clinching?
- benjam47 2y ago
  Today it is the same thing (part of an 811 call). In the distant past, it was a separate call. Around 2000 land owners are affected, and anecdoctally it seems to add a few days to a 811 response (~a week instead of 2-3 days).
JoeDaDude 2y ago
But isn't it the case that there is typically no personnel at the silo (or Launch Facility LF) itself? Instead, the Missile wing Commanders at the Launch Control Centers (LCC) some distance away. The LCC commands some number of LFs remotely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_launch_control_center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_launch_control_center
- benjam47 2y ago
  Good question. They definitely do have launch control centers. All available information online does seem to indicate that is the case that the silos themselves are unmanned. My understanding is that there was some security on site, but that is just based on second hand stories I've heard, and may not be true. I do see military vehicles traveling to and from the one that I am close to semi regularly, perhaps a month or so on average. As far as fire response, they likely have their equipment for that at the control centers as well.
  - plasma_beam 2y ago
    Given we are talking about nuclear missiles, I’d like to think that while unmanned and housing decades-old tech, that the sites themselves have state of the art top secret levels of security. Then again I grew up in northern VA and we all used to assume as kids that the pentagon had missiles to protect from attack, then 9/11 happens, things like Jan 6, and you lose that confidence..

nonethewiser 2y ago

> Anytime I want to dig on my property, I have to make sure it won't interfere with their pressurized cables. Sounds like a serious weak point

cpgxiii 2y ago
The missile silos and control facilities are connected in a sort of semi-mesh topology, so any one cable break is unlikely to cause a communications failure. There are backup launch control interfaces available via airborne platforms (specifically the E-6 today) as well. Digging into one of the cables is going to get you a prompt and unpleasant visit from base security.
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- toomuchtodo 2y ago
  https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41019604 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=41019604 https://computer.rip/2024-07-20-minuteman-missile-communications.html https://computer.rip/2024-07-20-minuteman-missile-communicat...
preisschild 2y ago
They have redundancy. But they obviously want to know where it happened in case it was sabotage.
bunabhucan 2y ago
Image showing the layout/redundancy of the communications: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-30_Minuteman#/media/File%3AHICS_Lines_Connectivity2.PNG https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-30_Minuteman#/media/File... There are alternate ways to launch the missiles (e.g. radio from a plane) in the event of an attack.

kev009 2y ago

The tape is probably a reponse to some infamous disasters/tragedies: * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-25C_Titan_II#Mishaps https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-25C_Titan_II#Mishaps * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_Searcy_missile_silo_fire https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_Searcy_missile_silo_fire * https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Damascus_Titan_missile_explosion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Damascus_Titan_missile_ex...

beerandt 2y ago

How different is it than a standard 811 utility-locate call? Actual change in procedure? Or just extra cheek-clinching?

benjam47 2y ago
Today it is the same thing (part of an 811 call). In the distant past, it was a separate call. Around 2000 land owners are affected, and anecdoctally it seems to add a few days to a 811 response (~a week instead of 2-3 days).

JoeDaDude 2y ago

But isn't it the case that there is typically no personnel at the silo (or Launch Facility LF) itself? Instead, the Missile wing Commanders at the Launch Control Centers (LCC) some distance away. The LCC commands some number of LFs remotely. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_launch_control_center https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Missile_launch_control_center

benjam47 2y ago
Good question. They definitely do have launch control centers. All available information online does seem to indicate that is the case that the silos themselves are unmanned. My understanding is that there was some security on site, but that is just based on second hand stories I've heard, and may not be true. I do see military vehicles traveling to and from the one that I am close to semi regularly, perhaps a month or so on average. As far as fire response, they likely have their equipment for that at the control centers as well.
- plasma_beam 2y ago
  Given we are talking about nuclear missiles, I’d like to think that while unmanned and housing decades-old tech, that the sites themselves have state of the art top secret levels of security. Then again I grew up in northern VA and we all used to assume as kids that the pentagon had missiles to protect from attack, then 9/11 happens, things like Jan 6, and you lose that confidence..