A Missile Past Its Prime
The Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) has been on alert since 1970, when the Beatles had just broken up and Richard Nixon was in his first term as president.
More than half a century later, the same missile system remains in use, despite being a technological marvel of the Cold War that is now showing its age.
The Minuteman III was never meant to last this long, but due to costs and delays in its replacement, the LGM-35A Sentinel, the Air Force is studying whether it can stay operational until 2050.
This possibility raises uncomfortable questions.
Author's summary: The Minuteman III's life extension forces a rethink of America's nuclear triad.