Francis E. Warren Air Force Base

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The 90th Missile Wing, which was activated 1 July 1963, with the original designation of the 90th Strategic Missile Wing, became the nation’s first operational Intercontinental Ballistic Missile base with the introduction of the SM-65D Atlas missile in 1958. Today, the 90th MW operates 150 LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBMs on full alert 24-hours a day, 365 days a year.

The 90 MW is organized into five groups:

• 90th Operations Group

Consists of more than 550 operators, facility managers, and support personnel. It is composed of three missile squadrons, an operations support squadron, a helicopter squadron and a standardization and evaluation element. Each tactical missile squadron is responsible for five missile alert facilities and 50 Minuteman III ICBMs. The units of the 90th Operations Group include:

• 319th Missile Squadron
• 320th Missile Squadron
• 321st Missile Squadron
• 90th Operations Support Squadron
• 37th Helicopter Squadron.
• 90th Maintenance Group

Provides Minuteman III ICBMs along with command and control systems required to launch those missiles. The group maintains 150 missiles and associated launch facilities, as well as 15 launch control facilities spread between a three-state, 9,600 square-mile complex.

• 90th Mission Support Group

Provides combat support to the 90th Missile Wing. The 1,000 men and women of the group provide civil engineering, transportation and logistics, communications, contracting, and personnel and services support.

• 90th Security Forces Group

Provides continuous security for the 90th Missile Wing. The mission of the 90 SFG includes the protection of F. E. Warren AFB, 15 Missile Alert Facilities (MAFs) and 150 Minuteman III Intercontinental Ballistic Missiles (ICBMs) on constant 24-hour alert throughout a 9,600 square-mile area spanning three states. The 90th SFG also sustains a combat-ready force deployable worldwide in support of wartime and peacetime taskings. The 90th Security Forces Group comprises five squadrons:

• 790th Security Forces Squadron
• 90th Ground Combat Training Squadron
• 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron
• 90th Security Forces Squadron
• 90th Security Support Squadron

The 790th Missile Security Forces Squadron provides security for convoys and missile maintenance operations. The 90th Ground Combat Training Squadron is located in Guernsey, Wyo., and provides security, pre-deployment, and antiterrorism/force protection training for USAF personnel. The 90th Missile Security Forces Squadron provides security for 15 missile alert facilities and 150 launch facilities. The 90th Security Forces Squadron provides installation and weapons storage area security; police services; pass and registration functions; and reports and analysis duties. The 90th Security Support Squadron provides command and control for the missile field and access control for all missile field forces as well as all security forces training and equipment support.

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U.S. accidentally sent ballistic missile parts to Taiwan

New York Times, Asia Pacific edition

At a news conference, the secretary of the air force, Michael Wynne, said the misshipped items were four electrical fuses for nose cone assemblies for ICBMs. He also said they had been delivered to Taiwan in 2006 and were sent instead of helicopter batteries that had been ordered by Taiwan. Wynne said the investigation was meant to sort out what had happened and how.

The fuses were manufactured for use on a Minuteman strategic nuclear missile but contained no nuclear materials.

It is the second nuclear-related mistake involving the air force in recent months. In August an air force B-52 bomber was mistakenly armed with six nuclear-tipped cruise missiles and flown across several states. At the time, the pilot and crew were unaware that they had nuclear arms aboard.

Wynne emphasized that the mistaken shipment to Taiwan did not include nuclear materials, although the fuses are linked to the triggering mechanism of the Minuteman nuclear missile.

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Shipping Snafu Sends ICBM Parts to Taiwan

• WIRED, DANGER ROOM

Well, it’s not as bad as mistakenly sending nuclear-armed cruise missiles for a ride across the United States, but it’s not good either. The Pentagon today announced that it had mistakenly sent fuses for intercontinental ballistic missiles to Taiwan. Oops.

No nuclear components were involved, however.

Apparently, Taiwan was supposed to get helicopter batteries. Instead they got the fuses. It makes you wonder how these boxes are marked.

The Pentagon, based on news reports, appears to be emphasizing the fact that the sale is not part of a strategic shift in arms sales to Taiwan, i.e. we’re not selling ICBMs to Taiwan. Yeah, that’s important, too, but it’d also be nice to know what went wrong in the inventory system that led to this mix-up.

The LA Times reports from today’s news conference: “It could not be construed as being nuclear material,” [Air Force Secretary Michael] Wynne said. “It is a component for the fuse in the nose cone for a nuclear system. We are all taking this very seriously.”

Apparently it was Taiwan, not the United States, that first noticed the error.

Oh dear, I seem to have accidentally posted the whole article.  Oops — didn’t expect it to be so short, I guess. 

Read — in original context.

Hidden Nuke, Crashed Satellite

Reports of a “meteorite” impact in Peru, September 15, 2007.

I have no idea how much Pu-238 is onboard such satellites as a power source. However, the decay heat of Pu-238 is 0.56 W/g; so, for example, a one kilowatt source would require just 1.8 kg of this extremely radioactive material (half-life 88 years). This amount of Pu-238 might account for reports boiling water in the crater (links above). On the other hand, if it actually was the KH-13 satellite and its fuel continued to burn all the way to the impact point, heated metal parts could have boiled the water for a brief time. In any event, all impact-crater experts would agree that boiling water in the crater doesn’t make any sense if the impactor was a meteorite, because ones of this size always arrive from outer space “stone cold.”

The link below explains why a full-scale air attack on Iran would provoke Iranian retaliation with modern Mach-2.5 “Sunburn” and “Yakhonts” anti-ship missiles which, as already proved in a recent U.S. war game, are virtually certain to sink the entire U.S. Fifth Fleet! And the neocons seem to be good with that …because they are growing desperate for yet another Pearl Harbor. (The God damned traitorous bastards!!!)

http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article18687.htm

So, what now? Unfortunately, it remains very likely that one of those nuclear-armed AGM-129 Advanced Cruise Missiles from Minot actually WAS stolen. The initial reports from Barksdale were that only 5 of the original 6 missiles arrived there. Then there is the fact that the obvious reason for intentionally downing the KH-13 would have been to prevent its imminent use for targeting the purloined AGM-129 against Iran. (Remember, the Peruvian impact was September 15^th whereas the limit on the $900 million options bet was September 21^st.)

I sincerely hope that the publicity given the B-52 incident will prevent the use of the stolen warhead on American soil! Of course, the one person who still retains the motive, means, and opportunity to circumvent the sophisticated multi-layer security system protecting our nuclear weapons is the insane Dick Cheney. Hopefully, however, enough of our high-ranking military officers are sane and know who the real threat is.

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Treason of the Highest Order

By Michel Chossudovsky, Global Research

On October 27, 2010, a computer failure emerged at the FE Warren Air force Base in Wyoming. “Mr President we’ve lost control of FIFTY nuclear warheads.” Pentagon chiefs were stunned to discover that a U.S. air force base had lost control of 50 nuclear, inter-continental missiles.  A power failure meant that one-ninth of America’s nuclear arsenal went offline for three-quarters of an hour, it emerged yesterday. Minuteman missile: Computer breakdown meant the U.S. Air Force lost control for 45 minutes

As multiple error codes appeared on the computer control system at FE Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, the Minuteman III missiles went into ‘LF Down’ status, which meant that officers were unable to communicate with them.

Defence officials insisted yesterday there was never any danger of an accidental launch. But the incident was deemed serious enough for Barack Obama to be briefed on it…

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US air force strips 17 officers of power to launch nuclear missiles

The Guardian

The US Air Force has stripped an unprecedented 17 officers of their authority to oversee nuclear missiles, after a string of failings that the group’s deputy commander said stemmed from “rot” within the ranks. The suspensions followed a March inspection of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot Air Force Base, North Dakota, that resulted in a “D” grade for the team tested on its mastery of the Minuteman III missile launch operations system.

“We are, in fact, in a crisis right now,” the group’s commander, Lieutenant Colonel Jay Folds, wrote in an internal email that was obtained by the Associated Press and confirmed by the Air Force. The Air Force had publicly described the inspection as a success.

The news follows a series of incidents in recent years that have uncovered major problems with the oversight of the US’s nuclear arsenal. In 2007, airmen at Minot accidentally loaded a B-52 with six nuclear weapons. The aircraft then flew to Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. In another incident, nuclear weapons parts were mistakenly shipped to Taiwan. The defense department learned of the error in 2008, 18 months after the fuses for nuclear warheads were shipped.

Minot’s crew are supposed to stand ready 24-hours a day to launch missiles on the president’s command. A crew member was disciplined in 2008 for falling asleep on duty, while watching nuclear launch-code components.

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Other links of interest, in loose chronological order

2013 Minot Airman found dead at base living quarters – National Military …

UPDATED 2013 Minot AFB Clandestine Nukes ‘Oddities’ – Citizens For Legitimate …

2007 The Mystery of Minot: Loose nukes and a cluster of dead airmen …

2007 Project Camelot | In Tribute | 9 Minot and Barksdale Airmen

2010 11 Responses to “Minot/Barksdale Nuclear Bent … - Boiling Frogs Post

2007 In From the Cold: The Case of the “Missing” Nukes

2007 Air Force Punishes 70 Airmen For Accidental Nuke-Armed B-52 …

2011 GORDON DUFF: ROGUE AMERICA, THE QUIET MUTINY …

2012 Running ‘Cause I Can’t Fly: October 2012

2009 Within 7 days – 6 died at Minot Air Force Base 07 – Commander now …

2011 ah, mephistophelis.: Oh, It Was The John P. Wheeler III Who Was …

PNAC – this lecture will blow your mind Download transcript (PDF) explains everything video ex0lains everything