LGM-118A Peacekeeper

[TransAm12sec]

I never studied this in high school. In fact I've never heard of it until yesterday. Was this the largest group of missiles developed for the cold war?

Also, was the peacekeeper in the news years ago?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LGM-118A_Peacekeeper

"The LGM-118A Peacekeeper was a land-based ICBM deployed by the United States starting in 1986. Under the START II treaty, which the U.S. had never ratified and from which Russia formally withdrew on June 14, 2002, the missile was to be removed from the US nuclear arsenal in 2005, leaving the LGM-30 Minuteman as the only type of land-based ICBM in the US arsenal. In spite of the demise of START II, the last of the LGM-118A "Peacekeeper" ICBMs were decommisioned on September 19, 2005."

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/5/5f/Peacekeeper-missile-testing.jpg/792px-Peacekeeper-missile-testing.jpg

[Al]

I remember seeing that photo before, but it must have been 10 years ago.

I am guessing that recent advances in technology such as GPS, guidance computers and smaller, lighter computers have made that older missile obsolete.

These days, $500 and the correct knowledge will allow you to build an small UAV (like an RC plane), capable of traveling 300 miles and landing on a patch 10ft by 10ft. The same technology just didn't exist very long ago when that missile was in development.

[HITMAN]

The Peacekeeper was the missile that most people knew as the "MX". Once the Soviet Union folded, there really wasn't a need for this thing. We still have the Minute Man III for a land based ICBM. That coupled with our Trident II SLBM and nuclear equipped Tomahawk cruise missiles makes up most of our current nuclear deterrent. It's our Navy that gives the nuclear wannabes of the world nightmares. I'm quite sure that there is an Ohio class SSBN parked in the Sea Of Japan right now, waiting for an order from the President, should North Korea or China blow a gasket. Flight time is real short when you can get in that close...