Air Force Reentry Programs Supporting the Land-based Strategic Missile Force
Lockheed Martin Valley Forge Facility, King of Prussia, Penn. On the cover: Time-lapse photography captures a successful flight test of ICBM reentry vehicles by the U.S. Air Force. ICBM test flights are regularly launched from an underground silo at Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif., to a target location near Kwajalein Atoll in the southern Pacific Ocean. DigitalGlobe
A Proven Partnership, Committed to Strategic Deterrence In the final years of World War II, two inventions appeared that would change war and peace forever: ballistic missiles and nuclear weapons. In the Cold War that followed, the race was on to combine the two technologies to create a superior strategic deterrent capability. At that time, more than 50 years ago, the U.S. Air Force chose Lockheed Martin to develop the nation s first intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). Since that pioneering effort, this government-industry partnership has continuously enhanced capabilities developing Atlas, Titan, Peacekeeper and Small ICBMs, and providing reentry systems for multiple ICBM generations and ground command and control systems for the currently deployed Minuteman III. Today the mission of strategic deterrence continues. Lockheed Martin Space System Company s Valley Forge facility in King of Prussia, Penn., is a key member of the industry team delivering sustainment support to ensure the Minuteman III operational force is a safe, secure and credible deterrent through 2030. A Legacy of Firsts In partnership with the U.S. Air Force, Lockheed Martin designed, developed and produced several innovations in land-based strategic deterrence. Atlas, the first ICBM MK2, the first ICBM reentry vehicle Titan, the first silo-based/ hot, quick-launched ICBM MK12, first multiple independently targeted reentry vehicle (MIRV) system Peacekeeper, the first cold-launched ICBM Small ICBM, the first road-mobile ICBM 1
2 Air Force Global Strike Command In 2009 the U.S. Air Force established a new organization, the Air Force Global Strike Command. Headquartered at Barksdale Air Force Base, La., Air Force Global Strike Command s mission is to develop and provide safe, secure and effective combat-ready forces for nuclear deterrence and global strike operations. This new command performs its mission with an elite and highly disciplined team of American airmen who have a special trust and responsibility for the most powerful weapons in our nation s arsenal. Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Office Created in 2008, the Air Staff A10 Directorate, the Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Office, reports directly to the U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff. This directorate provides increased focus and oversight of nuclear mission issues at the headquarters level and improves the flow of information between the Air Force, Department of Defense and other mission partners. Air Force Reentry Systems Flight-tested Systems for United States Land-based ICBMs How do you keep objects falling to Earth from burning up in the atmosphere? This is the fundamental challenge of reentry. When the U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin mastered the science of reentry, they achieved a breakthrough that, with further refinement, enabled astronauts to successfully return to Earth and scientific spacecraft to pass through the atmospheres of other planets. 50 years of Achievement. Our Air Force Reentry Programs (AFRP) unit has researched, designed, developed and produced nearly every U.S. ICBM reentry vehicle ever fielded. These include the MK2 and MK3 for the Atlas, MK6 for Titan, and the MK12 and MK12A for the current operational system, Minuteman III, including design of the shroud, chaff countermeasures system, deployment module, reentry vehicle/aeroshell and arming and fuzing systems. Lockheed Martin also participated in design and production of the MK21 reentry vehicle for the Peacekeeper missile. To ensure the reliability and viability of these systems, the Air Force conducts a comprehensive program to inspect and test missile and reentry system components at the depot at Hill Air Force Base in Utah and in the missile wings, and performs periodic operational test flights from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. Other applications of the organization s expertise have included the first recovery vehicles for the Corona photo reconnaissance satellites, threat-realistic target reentry vehicles, instrumented and experimental reentry payloads, maneuvering reentry vehicles and penetration aids. For the U.S. Navy s Fleet Ballistic Missile program, the AFRP team built the MK5 reentry body for the Trident II D5 missile and the experimental MK500 maneuvering reentry body. Proven Sustainment Capabilities. As principal teammate to Northrop Grumman, the current ICBM prime integration contractor, Lockheed Martin has been modernizing the Minuteman III reentry system to extend its operational service life. In 2002 the company began designing and developing flight hardware and ground support equipment for the Lockheed Martin s Air Force Reentry Programs unit has researched, designed, developed and produced nearly every U.S. ICBM reentry vehicle. Minuteman III Safety Enhanced Reentry Vehicle (SERV) program. As a result of SERV, Minuteman III missiles are now capable of carrying single MK21 reentry vehicles that became available from the decommissioned Peacekeeper ICBM force.
Nuclear Weapons Center A large portion of the Minuteman III missiles are slated to be upgraded in this manner by 2011, improving the safety, surety and longevity of the entire groundbased ICBM force. Additionally, Lockheed Martin has demonstrated its ability to refurbish the entire MK21 fuze assembly, originally designed for only a 10-year lifespan. Elements refurbished so far include solid-state radars and launch safety devices. These activities have been recognized by the Air Force as critical to U.S. ICBM sustainment. All told, the company has the experience and facilities necessary to deliver optimal yet economical ICBM sustainment support to the U.S. Air Force. The Air Force Materiel Command s Nuclear Weapons Center, located at Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M., oversees all U.S. air- and land-based nuclear weapon system maintenance and sustainment. The center s goal is to ensure safe, secure and reliable nuclear weapon systems for the nation. Reporting to the center, the 526th ICBM Systems Wing, located at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is responsible for developing, acquiring and supporting the U.S. groundbased ICBM force. To ensure the readiness and reliability of the U.S. arsenal of Minuteman III missiles, the 526th performs systems engineering, depot repair, equipment spares management, storage and transportation, and modification or replacement of all equipment needed to maintain silo-based ICBM systems. The 526th also supports ongoing efforts to develop a conventional prompt global strike capability using a hypersonic, unpowered payload delivery vehicle. 3
Mastering the Science of Reentry A Revolution in Strategic Deterrence Before the latter half of the 20th century, the only objects known to survive atmospheric reentry were meteorites. Starting in 1956, however, General Electric Reentry Systems (later acquired by Lockheed Martin), then located in Philadelphia, Penn., teamed with the U.S. Air Force to develop the world s first reentry vehicles. Over the years this organization, now known as Lockheed Martin Air Force Reentry Programs, has been home to thousands of talented engineers and technicians whose combined ingenuity has achieved the following firsts. First Operational Heat Sink Reentry Vehicle. The MK2 reentry vehicle utilized a copper alloy heat shield, absorbing and dissipating heat via thermal contact. In 1959 Atlas missiles armed with MK2s became the U.S. s first operational ICBM force. GE Reentry Systems, Philadelphia, Penn. spacecraft. The first successful recovery occurred in August 1960, inaugurating the era of the spy satellite. Largest Operational Reentry Vehicle. The MK6 reentry vehicle for the Titan II, an ablative, sphere-cone design, weighed 8,000 pounds and was 14 feet long. Deployed in 1962, the MK6 remained on active duty until the mid-1980s. First Multiple Independently Targeted Reentry Vehicles (MIRV) System. Lockheed Martin designed and built the Minuteman III reentry system to carry three reentry vehicles. The company also designed, built and tested penetration aids for Minuteman III, including chaff and decoys. The missile s payload is now being converted to a single MK21 reentry vehicle from the retired Peacekeeper force. MK12 reentry vehicles, the original armament of the Minuteman III ICBM 4 MK2 reentry vehicle First Operational Ablation Reentry Vehicle. The MK3 reentry vehicle used ablative materials, which dissipate heat by slowly burning away in a controlled manner. In May 1960 an Atlas MK3 established a new record with a reentry flight of 9,000 miles. First Return of a Man-Made Object from Orbit. Lockheed Martin designed the capsule and recovery system for reconnaissance photographs taken by the Corona MK6 reentry vehicle First Reentry Vehicle Test with Complete Flight Control during Hypersonic Reentry. Lockheed Martin and the Air Force modified MK3 reentry vehicles to investigate the use of aerodynamic control surfaces and onboard guidance and control subsystems. Three successful flight tests were conducted over the Pacific in the mid-1960s, demonstrating technologies useful for evading enemy missile defense systems. First Planetary Probe to Successfully Enter Jupiter s Atmosphere. Lockheed Martin designed and built the heat shield of the Galileo mission s atmospheric probe. The probe successfully entered Jupiter s atmosphere on December 7, 1995, withstanding an impact at 106,000 miles per hour and temperatures twice as hot as the sun s surface. Behind all these firsts is a team that has, over the years, produced more than 3,000 reentry vehicles. Today their experience lives on in the continued sustainment of the Minuteman III ICBM force.
Launch Vehicles Under the Payload Lockheed Martin s experience with ICBMs extends beyond reentry systems. The company has delivered these launch vehicles to the ICBM force: Atlas D, E and F: The first U.S. ICBM, on alert 1959 1965 Titan I: Two-stage liquidfueled, 1962 1965 Titan II: Non-cryogenic, storable propellant enables quick launch from an underground silo, 1964 1987 Peacekeeper: Three-stage solid-fueled, 1986 2005 Small ICBM: Threestage solid-fueled, 1986 1992 In total, the company has built more than 700 missiles. 5
A New Role for Conventional Weapons Falcon Leads the Way What is the next frontier for reentry science? The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the U.S. Air Force have partnered with Lockheed Martin to develop technologies that will enable innovative conventional weapon systems having high potential to support strategic deterrence. In 2003 DARPA and the Air Force initiated the Falcon program. Falcon s purpose is to demonstrate technologies that will enable prompt global reach from U.S. soil using a vehicle traveling at hypersonic speeds. In Falcon s initial phase, Lockheed Martin has helped DARPA and the Air Force develop conceptual designs and concepts of operation and identify critical technologies. This ground-breaking effort requires solutions for new challenges in navigation, guidance and control for precision accuracy and materials for thermal protection systems. Lockheed Martin has partnered with DARPA and the Air Force to build two hypersonic technology vehicles (HTV) for launch from Vandenberg Air Force Base toward Kwajalein Atoll using a Minotaur IV Lite launch vehicle, which is based on the Peacekeeper missile. Although unpowered, the vehicles are designed to reach speeds of between Mach 15 and 20 and soar in the atmosphere at altitudes between 150,000 and 6 6
200,000 feet, making them the fastest vehicles ever flown from a ground takeoff. In June 2009 the Air Force selected Lockheed Martin to evolve the HTV concept into a Payload Delivery Vehicle capable of carrying a conventional weapon. The success of Falcon and its successors will give the nation unprecedented capability to use a conventional weapon system as a strategic deterrent. Such a vehicle makes a powerful contribution to deterrence, enabling the U.S. to strike high-value targets quickly such as an enemy s long-range missile being readied for launch anytime and anywhere on earth in 60 minutes or less. This new strike option would not require a lengthy build-up of conventional forces, nor would it involve overflight rights or host country basing issues. Falcon and its successors will give the nation unprecedented capability to use a conventional weapon system as an element of strategic deterrence. 7
The Price of Freedom Since the height of the Cold War, nuclear arsenals have been reduced, but the need for strategic deterrence remains. At Lockheed Martin we are committed to the U.S. Air Force s ICBM mission, sustaining a force that achieves the highest standards of safety, security and credibility. 8
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Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company Air Force Reentry Programs 230 Mall Blvd., Bldg. 100, M4413 King of Prussia, PA 19406-2902 610-354-4475 www.lockheedmartin.com 2010 Lockheed Martin Corporation Photos courtesy of U.S. Air Force. No endorsement expressed or implied. Approved for Public Release, Distribution Unlimited: USAF 6 Apr 2010; DARPA 16 Jul 2010 K0946532