uh?

[Rokenn]

Here is a weird news bit.


STRATEGIC NUCLEAR WEAPONS: Peacekeeper Put to Sleep

April 6, 2004: In order to meet disarmament treaty obligations, the United States is retiring it's most recent ICBM design, the Peacekeeper. Older Minuteman III ICBMs will be upgraded to replace the retired missiles. The Peacekeeper entered service in 1986, as the ultimate Cold War era ICBM. Only 23 Peacekeepers are still in service.

The upgrading of the older Minuteman III missiles has been under way for several years. The air force is in the process of replacing the decades old solid fuel rockets of its 500 Minuteman III missiles. Actually, a test of a 33 year old Minuteman I rocket motor showed that the motor (actually, a long tube full of slow burning explosives) still performed according to specification. The last of the Minuteman III missiles will receive their new motors by 2008. It costs about $5.2 million to replace the rockets on each missile. The new rocket motors, which have to comply with EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) rules, will have a shorter range than the original motors (which was classified, but thought to be nearly 10,000 kilometers, based on where the missiles were stationed and where likely Russian targets were.)

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It good to know that in the 30 some old minutes between the start of a nuclear war and the end of one we will not have to worry about dangerous emmissions from all those missles flying overhead!

[Timber Loftis]

And a mighty fine point if I ever saw one! [img]graemlins/biglaugh.gif[/img]

[Night Stalker]

[img]graemlins/whackya.gif[/img] Silly, the requirement for EPA compliance is for when they are in storage or at the ready, not when they are flying. [img]tongue.gif[/img]

You should see some of the strange EPA rquirements that military hardware and training sites have to adhear to. Some of them just make you scratch your head and go ??? One of my favorites is a 50 m "no training zone" around nesting trees for the Red Cockheaded Woodpecker .... IN THE FIELD TRAINING AREA!! So, you're traveling along on Patrol training and .... STOP THE WAR! IT'S A WOODPECKER! [img]tongue.gif[/img] Let's all now move 150 m SW and resume our regularly scheduled 'dying'! [img]tongue.gif[/img]

[ 04-08-2004, 12:10 PM: Message edited by: Night Stalker ]

[Rokenn]

Originally posted by Night Stalker: [img]graemlins/whackya.gif[/img] Silly, the requirement for EPA compliance is for when they are in storage or at the ready, not when they are flying. [img]tongue.gif[/img] You should see some of the strange EPA rquirements that military hardware and training sites have to adhear to. Some of them just make you scratch your head and go ???

BAH! Go ahead and spoil my fun [img]graemlins/whackya.gif[/img]

[Night Stalker]

Nyaa nyaa Nanya Nyaaaaa! [img]tongue.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/hehe.gif[/img]

[Stratos]

Don't fight, kids.

[Night Stalker]

But Da'aaad we're not fighting!

[Timber Loftis]

Actually, the storage requirements would apply to substances of varying natures contained within the rockets -- and I think we can all agree that it's a good thing to regulate the storage of hazardous materials -- especially these.

However, it seems to me that if the range is reduced, it may very well be a Clean Air Act compliance issue -- standards apply to most every engine made. So, have at it Rokenn.

[Skunk]

I'm also presuming that the rockets are subject to test-firing (not launching) occassionally too?