USAF looks into replacement of Minuteman III flight control units

The U.S. Air Force is considering the replacement of flight control units for the engines on the three-stage Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile by Boeing.

The 90th Missile Wing at F.E. Warren Air Force Base (AFB), Wyo., the 341st Missile Wing at Malmstrom AFB, Mont., and the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB, N.D. operate the fields for the 400 Minuteman IIIs, which first deployed in the early 1970s.

The intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) Minuteman III Systems Program Office (SPO) at Hill AFB, Utah “requests letters of interest from qualified firms interested in performing work in support of the replacement of the flight control units for the Minuteman Stage I, Stage II, and Stage III motors,” according to a Thursday Jan. 30  business notice. “This includes, but is not limited to, the controls that provide thrust vectoring as well as roll control for the missiles pitch, yaw and roll axes.”

“The scope of this effort must also include the disparate support equipment elements that are needed at the depot and field level repair areas and the applicable raceway cables to provide signals and power to the various flight controls,” the notice said.

Boeing has said that it builds such flight control units for the Minuteman III. Rockwell International made the Minuteman’s missile guidance sets before Boeing bought the company.

A version of this story was first published by Exchange Monitor affiliate Defense Daily.