. Earth Science News .
NUKEWARS
Air Force contracts for upgraded ICBM launch system
by Richard Tomkins
Washington (UPI) Oct 5, 2017


Lockheed Martin and Rockwell Collins are to upgrade a system enabling aircraft to control the ground launch of intercontinental ballistic missiles, the Air Force announced this week.

U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command said the two contacts are for three years and worth $81 million each.

"The Airborne Launch Control System provides the strategic capability of survivable airborne command and control for the Air Force's fleet of ICBMs," said Col. Scott Jones, ICBM Systems director at the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center. "The new system will be a timely replacement of the legacy system and provide continued ICBM airborne command-and-control capability through 2075."

The awards to Lockheed Martin Space Systems and Rockwell Collins begin a design competition for upgrading the nuclear command-and-control mission system, which allows for the launch of ICBMs through commands from Navy's E-6B Mercury aircraft. The Minuteman III and future Ground Based Strategic Deterrent ICBMs require an alternate launch control capability in case of launch interference to ground-based facilities.

The current Airborne Launch Control System provides this capability for Minuteman missiles through 1960s-era radio equipment at each of 450 Air Force ICBM launch facilities and on Mercury aircraft.

"We are developing a modular system that can be easily upgraded to address new technologies and threats as they emerge," said Maj. Gen. Scott Jansson, commander of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center and program executive officer for strategic systems.

The Air Force said it plans fielding of the new system by 2024.

NUKEWARS
Russia Conducts Test Launch of RS-24 Yars ICBM
Plesetsk (Sputnik) Sep 25, 2017
The RS-24 Yars intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) was test-launched from Russia's Plesetsk space center, the Russian Defense Ministry said Wednesday. "On September 20, a test launch of the solid-fuel mobile intercontinental ballistic missile RS-24 Yars equipped with a multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle [MIRV] was conducted from Plesetsk space center by the Yoshkar-Ola m ... read more

Related Links
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
Learn about missile defense at SpaceWar.com
All about missiles at SpaceWar.com
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


Comment using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

NUKEWARS
800 Yazidis refugees resettled in Canada: minister

Trump to request $29 bln for storm-hit Puerto Rico

Puerto Rico's hurricane-wracked environment faces long recovery

Radioactive cesium leajing into ocean 60 miles from Fukushima

NUKEWARS
Saab supplying radar to U.S. Coast Guard

Electrically heated textiles now possible via UMass Amherst research

Unexpected discovery leads to new theory of liquid streaming

Atomistic simulations go the distance on metal strength

NUKEWARS
Pacific's Niue creates huge marine sanctuary

Shipping, fishing killed Canada right whales: autopsy

Prince Charles warns 'plastic on the menu' in world's fish

Big rainy season leaves dozens dead in Central America

NUKEWARS
In warmer climates, Greenlandic deltas have grown

Return of the Weddell polynya supports Kiel climate model

Winter cold extremes linked to high-altitude polar vortex weakening

Shipping risks rise as Antarctic ice hits record low

NUKEWARS
Bee-harming pesticides in 75 percent of honey worldwide: study

Win-win strategies for climate and food security

Land grabs cause lingering SE Asia conflicts: report

Biodegradable microsensors for food monitoring

NUKEWARS
Assessing regional earthquake risk and hazards in the age of exascale

Mexico says last body found in rubble after quake

Vanuatu volcano island evacuation complete

A year after Hurricane Matthew, Haiti more vulnerable than ever

NUKEWARS
Three US Green Berets killed in Niger

Liberian women hold mass fast for peaceful elections

The link between drought and riots in sub-Saharan Africa

Ghanaian villagers profit from monkey business

NUKEWARS
Ancient humans left Africa to escape drying climate

Sleep helps the brain reorganize, new study shows

Isotopic analyses link the lives of Late Neolithic individuals to burial location in Spain

Stone Age child reveals that modern humans emerged more than 300,000 years ago









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.