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But they do have testing schedules. They certainly tests the electronics regularly. And every so often they randomly pick a missile and launch them from Vandenb
by krisoft 2y ago
But they do have testing schedules. They certainly tests the electronics regularly. And every so often they randomly pick a missile and launch them from Vandenberg.
https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3796566/minuteman-iii-test-launch-showcases-readiness-of-us-nuclear-forces-safe-effecti/ https://www.spaceforce.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/3796...
> I really wonder what the failure rate would be if they were all actually launched today
I hope we will never find out. But certainly there would be many duds. But this is calculated into the effectiveness of the system by simply having more missiles. That is how it achieves its goal of dettering a would be attacker. (Not even talking about how there are two other totaly separate legs of the nuclear triad with dissimilar personel and technical solutions.)
- m_mueller 2y ago> randomly pick a missile and launch them from Vandenberg Jeff! Did you remember to take out the warheads? Jeff?!
- mrguyorama 2y agoSomewhat soberingly, earlier in the war with Ukraine, Russia managed to launch a ballistic missile with a concrete "Warhead simulator" installed, literally a mass designed to test the launch vehicle without using a nuclear device. If that was an accident, that means they didn't properly know which warheads are where. That's.... upsetting.
- kens 2y agoThat reminds me of the 2007 incident when the Air Force meant to transfer twelve unarmed cruise missiles from North Dakota to Louisiana but loaded up six nuclear-tipped missiles by mistake. The missiles remained unprotected on a B-52 for 36 hours before someone noticed the missiles were nuclear. A whole lot of people including 8 generals got in trouble over this. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_United_States_Air_Force_nuclear_weapons_incident https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_United_States_Air_Force_n...