Detailed tour through a NUCLEAR ICBM missile base! (Includes a mock missile launch!)
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- Опубліковано 1 чер 2024
- Join me in this guided tour of a decommissioned Titan II nuclear ICBM missile silo and command centre in Tucson, Arizona!
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0:00 intro
1:13 security
1:44 aerozine 50 fuel hard stand
2:08 AN/TPS-39 surveillance system
2:30 stage 1 and 2 rocket engines, butterfly lock valve, vernier motor
3:44 oxidiser hard stand
4:29 silo doors
5:18 going down the stairs
6:00 3 tonne blast door
6:40 launch control centre and missile launch process
11:48 silo and Titan II missile
12:09 reentry vehicle
12:28 W-53 thermonuclear warhead
Interesting fact for any Star Trek fans here, This is where they filmed parts of First Contact when they were with the "Phoenix" Warp ship
I was Quality Control and Evaluation at these sites in 67/68/69. Proud to have helped. Good people with lots of skill. Enjoyed my time there.
I was here over 10 years ago. It was an interesting trip and still remember it today.
I remember I pressed the lunch button, and many other lights lit up. Now, the museum put a plastic glass to cover the control panel...hahaha
I spent over 7 years under ground in a Titan II Silo. This was my home site.
I forgot to add. The missile fuel, a form of hydrazine, has given me leukemia. Knowing that, I would do it again. When I taught Survival for the USAF, I would write on the board a sentence. I told my students, if you can read this sentence, thank your teacher. If you can read it in English, thank the military.
Thanks for posting this video. My time as a launch crew member (BMAT) was the very best part of my 20 year career in the USAF. I had the honor of "pulling" 200+ alerts under the hills of north Arkansas 1978-1987. Line Crew BMAT, Training Crew BMAT, Senior Training Crew BMAT, Chief, MPT. What an experience!!!!
Former MFT here from McConnell, 1971-75. I pulled over 200 alerts also. Instructor MFT for final year and a half on crew. I got out but wish now that I had stayed in. It was an unforgettable experience for sure.
Did you by chance pull time in the ghost silo outside of searcy?
Was stationed at LR when they stood the 308th down. They had some INCREDIBLE fast and slow pitch softball teams!!
Was stationed at LR when they stood the 308th down. They had some INCREDIBLE fast and slow pitch softball teams!!
Thanks for watching everyone! Are you interested in these types of non-aviation videos? Don't worry, I'll also keep doing plane videos too. Please comment below and let me know!
Mistake update: I meant to say that the stage 1 rocket motor produces 430,000lbs instead of 43,000 as I incorrectly said. Sorry!
The nuclear triad is fascinating, although terrifying. Would love more of these types of videos 👍🏼
Hugely interesting Paul 👍✌️
I loved it
Yeah, this was really cool!
And 1 train video...
I operated a power plant at Vandenberg AFB in 1973-1974 supporting satellite launches when they used TItan IIIB and Titan IIID
Looking down into the silo and seeing the missile sitting there is absolutely terrifying, it seriously freaked me out.
It is not capable of flight and has a Dummy warhead on it, everything was drained and oil pumped in to make any drop inert!!! If your city was targeted by this missile you would have every reason to be terrified!!! I grew up in Tucson from 1959 to 1972 with these missiles being on alert. My Dad the NCOIC of the supply squadron knew what equipment was in the silos but never talked about because it was Top Secret!!!
Nice presentation. I was a 308th FACE/RPIE Electrician at LRAFB silos complexes from 1980-1986. Since all the silos were built identical, everything in this video was exactly how I remember it at the 308th. I was in my early 20's back then, an enjoyable experience.
A well done tour video. The museums missile is the training one from Sheppard AFB - it never contained fuel or was in an active silo. And of course they made that cutout in the re-entry nose cone to show there’s no warhead inside. The engines on display outside are from this missile so it has no engines to view when taking the special tour downstairs (now discontinued I’m told).
When I was in USAF ROTC Summer training
at Plattsburgh Air Force Base, NY in August
1967, after my Junior year in college, my
Cadet Flight Commander, a Captain in the
USAF, discussed career areas for me and
being a Missile Launch Officer, probably as
a deputy to a higher ranking officer, such
as a Captain or Major, when I would have
been a First Lieutenant after training in
that Specialty.
I did not go into that position, but after I
was a Personnel Officer for a couple of
years, my Chief of the Consolidated Base
Personnel Office, CBPO, was a Major, who
had been a Launch Officer, with a Deputy,
and he wore the Missileers Badge on his
uniform. Captain, USAF, Reserve Retired.
1969-1973.
I grew up in Tucson where the missile titan museum is located and I can remember when this missile site was active as a small child back in the early seventies.
I always wondered Why MEsa had tornado or warning sirens. Till I went to the Pima Air & Space Museum and mentioned the titan museum. Now I want to go here to see it.
I lived in Tucson from 1959 to 1972, our sirens always went off at 12 noon all across the city, we never had a real event causing the sirens to be used!!!My Dad was assigned to the 309th Supply Squadron as it's NCOIC, he knew what equipment was used in the silos but never talked about it, that being Top Secret!!@@Stingray4
Great video. And it explains why we moved to solid fuel rockets. They don't need to be refueled, and are hard to iginite, so no accidents.
So much 1960's technology. I do have to ask if it has the old military equipment smell.
I do think the tunnels remind me of the Stargate SG-1 series.
Visted there last year. Was a Communications Tech for that site and the other 17 from 1978 to 1982.
My favorite ICBM 👍
I worked in the Guidance shop and later Elab on the Titans in Arkansas from 1974-79. Walking with you down the stairway was a memory and thank you for sharing it. Coding on the way in or clearing topside on the way home were always an opportunity for drama and never of the sort that you wanted. At the bottom of those stairs we picked up the phone and only got down to the outer door if we got our codes right. Lots of hard work for young men and women who were not always appreciated by management and it being the 1970s, not always a hit out around the community. Jeff Kennedy and David Livingston and Greg Devlin all paid a huge price one night in Damascus. We did the best we could
Enjoyed your video of the Titan. My father was a Ballistic Missile Analyst Technician (BMAT) on the Titans stationed at Little Rock AFB in Arkansas in the mid 60's. He was one of two enlisted technicians who were part every Missile Combat Crew deployed to the sites. He and his enlisted partner were responsible for maintaining the missile's readiness, refueling the missile when necessary and conducting all other maintenance activities on the missile while it was in the silo. I visited some of the silo's with my father in Arkansas and remember many of the areas you discussed in your video. He retired from the Air force in 1967 as a Quality Assurance Inspector on Titans and was called up when the disaster at Damascus happened to help with the investigation. Keep up the good work of documenting flight !
Glad you enjoyed it
Working at the Damascus site after the disaster there must have been one sobering experience for your dad, grateful for his service.
Umm I wouldn’t have said that at all… but cool story and thank you to your dad
@@michaelvalencia7234 why?
@@DarwinWJ74 he has seen a inside of a silo and has information… just like we don’t have all info on russias shit it’s the same
My mom works for the federal government won’t say what agency she is but it’s just something you learn
You don’t open your mouth when you know info wether it’s a known info or not
Paul- the launch crew consisted of two officers & two enlisted people. This site 571-7 was my home site & pulled nearly 250 alert tours while I was a crew member.
Great video! Brief and hit the high points of the complex.
I think I heard you say the 1980 missile accident was in Kansas. It happened at complex 374-7 in Arkansas…
Thank you for sharing
No, he just pronounced it as R-Kansas, instead of R-Kan-saw
If you're a ham radio operator, there's also a giant discone antenna at the site that you can use after checking in with the museum staff
Well worth a visit, my wife and I visited earlier this year. She got drafted to turn the missile launch key!
She was either the deputy commander or the commander, I was selected as the commander on my tour!
There's a good book called 'Command and Control' by Eric Schlosser that deals with the Arkansas Titan II accident.
imo one of the coolest parts of american military history - something mysterious.
makes me wonder what sorta similar sites we may have set up nowdays.
Good to see ya again Paul.
The book and later documentary "Command and Control" painted a slightly different view of how the Arkansas incident could have panned out.
I like the numerous watch for rattlesnakes signs. Yikes!
What a construction.
I took the tour in september and actually had to turn the launch key as the deputy. The whole visit was incredibly exciting yet also a very frightening experience. Thank you for this video, which sums up the museum nicely!
'Watch for Rattlesnakes', yeah, that's kind of an important sign...
Thanks for the memories Paul! I was stationed there from 1977-80 as a missile tech, engine and "handling". My first USAF assignment, then trained to aircraft maintenance.
BTW, kudos to your thoroughness for mentioning the Titan 2 being used for the Gemini program.
Yeaaahhhh my man! Was waiting on next upload.
That's why the technicians who work in the missile silos now have all their tools connected by a lanyard to their work belts.
Terrifyingly scary yet so interesting
Thanks for the tour. Well done.
Thanks for the tour!
I was just there last month. I was the missile commander in the launch simulation. The place is neat.
I’m not a flower and completely understand the need for military defense and offense, yet when I view all of this hardware, the missile, and all of the necessary infrastructure, IT’S ABSOLUTELY INSANE !
The silos were under construction in 1959 when my Dad was stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB home to 18 Titan II missiles, the base also had the B-47 bomber on nuclear alert as well as a medium sized weapons storage area. I was age 2 and up, then 6 when the missiles went on alert status.
The last time I was at that museum, they were still shooting scenes for "Star Trek First Contact." After I left, I started wondering what the missle crew do after launch, I didn't remember that being covered. Crack a beer? Walk home? What do you do in an empty silo? Assuming it's not a smoking crater.
They would stay put for 30 days after they launched the missile, then exit through a secondary exit and attempt to make it to the mountains!!!
When the Docent was going second by second through the launch process, I could actually start to feel my heart racing. I was amazed at just how much tension there was in the room and the looming sense of dread when he said the missile was on its way and there was no way to stop it. I can only imagine the strain those young men must have been under everyday while serving at the silo.
Part of our training serving with Strategic Air Command was to know our job was so very important for the survival of our nation that we knew if the order came we would obey it and launch!! I served with the 92d Security Police Squadron it was routine to hear the klaxon to go off any time of day no matter the weather outside. I became common place, but we knew that the weapons we secured, maintained and manned could eliminate a city!! Our weapons were the B-52G on 15 minute nuclear ground alert!!
Been here before I appreciate you for showing what arizona offers and the little secrets we have stored around arizona
On the opposite side of the first blast door is a beautiful mural/patch of the SAC unit that operated this silo. Has a copper penny on it for the copper mine that this silo sits next to.
Absolutely amazing mate.
We were just there a couple weeks ago and had the same guide. It's a great tour. Thanks for the video.
I want to this museum a couple of months ago and let me just say, it was incredible.
I would highly recommend it to anyone nearby
One of my favorite museums of all time
Thanks for your sharing
Fascinating
An astonishingly good video Paul, I was transfixed all the way through. Keep up the fantastic work mate.
Once again a brilliant video. Absolutely fascinating 👏
"Turn your key Sir!" Great tour. Thanks.
Thanks for watching!
cozy, but I wonder where they put the Christmas tree. No serious, very interesting video.
I think it would have been useful to actually name this museum. Also, it is not located in Tucson. Potential visitors might wish to know where this is when watching this video, so I can add that that it is the "Titan Missile Museum", and is about 25 miles (40km) south of Tucson, just off of I-19 in Green Valley, Arizona.
This video is cool Paul and fits in with your normal Aircraft ones. I like it
I'd be happy even with the stage 2 engine strapped to my car :DDD
There's a book and documentary called Command and Control that covers the incident in Arkansas. Pretty scary how close central Arkansas was to getting wiped off the map! Cool tour and awesome channel!
The systems in place designed to arm and detonate the warhead are such that was never a danger of a nuclear explosion. Some radiation leakage is possible from physical damage to the RV, but the warhead(s) were armed through a series of events that, for instance, included it reentering the atmosphere before detonation could occur.
I used to live in Arkansas with a retired Titan II Combat Missile Crew Commander and his wife. I remember him telling me the incident at Damascus, AR, wouldn’t have resulted in a nuclear detonation, although there may have been some risk of radiation leaking if the RV had been sufficiently damaged. Interestingly, the missile involved in that mishap at silo 373-7 at Damascus, was the same one that had been installed in silo 373-4 in Searcy, about 30 miles east, which caught fire in 1965.
Except that is bogus, Why do people keep repeating this garbage.
Was this the infamous spanner ( wrench ) incident? That one had the Angels worried
Eric Schlosser..same guy who wrote fast food nation
Interesting subject
I went on the tour and was selected as the Commander and then tour guide ordered the two of us to turn the key at the count of 3. Alarms went off, and the process to launch the missile was under way!! You can not stop an missile once it is launched and pretty much guarantee a Soviet city would be wiped off the face of the planet!! I also served in SAC with the 92d Security Police Squadron, we had the B-52G on 15 minute nuclear ground alert. Thankfully no bomber or missiles from the Air Force or Navy were ever launched. Our motto was Peace Is Our Profession!! We collectively with the bomber bases, missile bases and the Navy's boomer submarines won the cold war without firing a shot in anger for 46 years!!!
I hope the people working in these bases are allowed to watch Netflix. Can you imagine a more boring job than waiting your entire career to possibly push 1 button?
They could watch "Threads"!!! Or " The sum of all Fears". Or "The Day After". You get it ..
@@Woody2Shoe...but probably Wargames was banned...for not to undermine the line of command. 😂
It’s an extremely boring job that pays amazingly well, but a job you wish you never have to actually have to do “the work”
@@cameronsienkiewicz6364
Not sure where you got your info, but these were not manned by civilians, but by USAF personnel, specially trained, and not highly paid, no haz duty pay or any such thing. We ( I was a PadDad [MMT] at 381st SMW McConnell, '73-'75, boring at times, but ever vigilant, had many friends on the Command and Control Teams (BMATs, etc). There was always books, magazines, TV for entertainment. No special compensation just your salary by rank, which for some of us was about $300 monthly including seperate rations if we lived off base and not in the barracks. It was more stressful arriving at the launch site each day and going through the security checks, than being in the launch duct with that big beautiful bird!
9:30 Sir, we are at launch, turn your key!
Captain Jerry Lawson : I'm sorry.
1st Lieutenant Steve Phelps : [cocks his sidearm] Turn your key, sir!
Yet another great video, Paul, and it’s nice to have this in the mix of the others you typically do.
Thanks for a great video! Your explanations were excellent, and I enjoyed it. In answer to some questions, we were never terrified about messages, as we quickly determined that it was a test. We weren't bored, lots to do and we kept busy and had fun too. Major Mark Clark, Senior DMCCC at MCAFB and LRAFB, 1984-1987.
Thank you for your service, Major Clark!
I toured the Rock Ks silo in 73’ as a field trip for and aeronautics class in my high school. I basically saw everything you did except the static displays of warhead, engines and fueling truck in my tour. The details are a bit foggy, after all it’s been 40 years ago. But even as high schooler it was super interesting and a bit ominous.
Being a Boomer brings a lot of other memories from the 60’-63’ time period. That’s pretty heady stuff for an early school age student in grades K-3. The whole civil defense bug out shelters on a civilian scale were indeed a real thing. Most ominous of all was the issuance of dog tags incase I was obliterated in a nuclear exchange.
After all Wichita was a major target because of a SAC Air Base with a squadron of B-47 and B52 nuclear bombers and ICBM ‘s commands within city limits. Nuclear bombers have been there till the mid-late 90’s. My next door neighbor was a SAC B2 Pilots till the the B2’s moved elsewhere. And then there was the aerospace brain trust and workforce of Boeing Military being there. To think that there were only 4 AFB’s in the whole of the US and Wichita was ringed with 18 of these bad boys all within 30 minute drive. Happy we all made it thru those years. Hope clear minds continue prevail for many many more years.
Thanks for sharing, very interesting 👍
We took the tour last summer. You forgot to tell what they were to do after launching the missile. They were to wait for orders and if no orders came after 30 days and they were still alive they would leave the facility through an escape tunnel and attempt to reach a rendezvous point in the nearby mountains. Pretty spooky stuff.
I didnt remember that. Yes sobering!
I'm still so glad I found this channel a while ago. I love the tours, and love the detailed facts. keep up the great work Paul :)
Very informative, thx for posting!
You're welcome!
Thank you for what you do.
Very very cool. Thank you for sharing this
Fascinating presentation thanks xxx. Scary stuff!
I guess there were a lot of systems built into the launch process to avoid an world destroying chain reaction. But it also seemed very simple. I guess it had to be done quickly! Imagine the terror those young officers would have had every time that alarm went off!!
Actually, there's surprisingly little _technology_ preventing a "rogue launch". It was almost entirely down to the the two people down in that hole. If the stories are correct, the code they were later required to install was set to "00000" for a great many years, out of spite. (How dare the POTUS not trust his missile command!)
There one code for the butterfly valve and it is 16 to the sixth power and you had six tries to enter the code so on the seventh one even if you got it right the missile would commit electronic suicide and the CO would be in trouble
A sobering reminder of things in the shadows which would completely destroy our planet.
One note on the fuel valve-code. For a long time after the code for the fuel was implemented, the correct code was "00000000" as SAC had some major trust issues...
Another very interesting video Paul! Yes we're fortunate that the launch procedure never happened for real. I shudder to think what it might have unleashed.
I have seen the missles use early technology with big floppy disks. Probably some vacume tubes.
@@rogersmith7396 Yup, and the memory of those systems were measured in mere kilobytes. Titan II used mylar punch tape to input target information in the guidance computer for it's three possible targets.
This is a fantastic tour of the signt, im making a game based of the missile explosion in Damascus and this video is a fantastic reference, thank you for this
How's the game coming along?
I finally got to visit the Minute Man visitor center in western South Dakota last year. Really interesting stuff! They had the under ground silo tours closed at the time (which were at a different location 2 mile away) but the main center was worth the visit.
The silo's are 1/2 mile off the interstate and not even hidden. If you didn't know what the little building and mound of dirt was 'over in that pasture', you'd totally pass it off as an abandoned farm from the 1920's with only a single out building left standing.
The movie 'The Day After' still makes me nervous when I watch it.
Been there done that a few times also got to turn the key😊
I am a Navy veteran and retired Army. While in the Navy, in the 80’s, as a sonar technician, was stationed aboard d DDG. We had ASROC’s and Nuclear missiles. I was part of the Nuclear Weapons Handling Team. Also on the 2-man rule team for the missile house. The biggest responsibility of all of this was being in the PRP. Personal Reliability Program. Which was pretty close to what the two members in the missile silo’s were part of. Extreme confidence was placed on us and we had to be morally sound, no psych issues and no chemical dependence.
This also counted for Security Police both missile and bombers, if you suspected someone of having issues you reported it to your flight chief as soon as possible!!! As a Security Police supervisor I could relieve an airman of duty if I noticed problems or they were reported to me.
Absolutely fascinating! Excellent video - thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it!
There is a Titan 2 display also at Evergreen aviation and space museum in McMinnville, Oregon. They run a simulated launch there as well. Crazy scary stuff.
Great video. Thank you for the upload.
Nicely done. I would mention that by the time I worked at the sites in Kansas, they propellant was only changed out every few years. Both the commander and the deputy were commissioned officers which generally meant they graduated from college. I would put the ages closer to 25 to 30.
Really interesting tour Paul. Thank you .
I did the tour and placed my hand on the key.. awesome... and terrifying. The launch doors are permanently fixed at half open so Russian satellites can verify that it's no longer a threat. The missile is huge!
Thank you for sharing.
Visited last month, kind of chilling to think that there are still functional missile bases such as this up in Northern US. Was a great tour and would recommend to everyone.
The most clever way for us to have a fully functioning ICBM hidden in plain sight ;) “it’s a moo-seum”
BTW, forgot to tell you how well done your videos are. Excellent narration, good info, no useless babbling or self aggrandizing and good videography. From an aviation photographer myself, thumbs up and a sub!
Thanks. I try to be factual and avoid talking about myself too much
Great vid Paul! If you get a chance, check out the Quebec-01 site in Chugwater, Wyoming. No silo, but they’ve got the Missile Alert Facility, Launch Capsule, and service area. Quick tour, but it’s in great condition.
hey thanks! i gotta go see that
On my bucket list as well, probably the only site left that is configured for the Peacekeeper (aka the MX) ICBM system
Trully great format of videos! Appreciate the hard work! Thank you
Now is a good time to say that I really like your channel, just the other day was the first time I saw your content and was instantly hooked! Thanks!
Thanks! Im glad to hear you enjoy the videos
11:34 Check out the documentary film 'Command & Control' about the near disaster with that exploding silo/missile.
I've always wanted to visit one of those, since my home state of Nevada was the country's nuclear testing ground. Sobering to see one, and excellent video, as always!
Soooo Cool!!! 😃
Thanks for upload, !
I wish you could have gotten footage of how the missile is suspended in the silo. I've always wondered about that
Great walkthrough! I really enjoyed this video! I hope to make it to the Titan Missile Museum one day. Thanks for sharing!
I remember going here in ‘99 and loved it. But since when are mechanical clocks more accurate than electric clocks?
I have been in Pervomajsk ICBM museum in Ukraine couple years ago And it Is very similar.
Great job on this one Paul.
Nice video. I've recently re-read Eric Schlosser's Command And Control of which a large part covers the accident you refer to. So it's nice to be able to put some visuals to the descriptions. Thanks!
wow that was a blast! the workmanship and tech from that year was incredible, thanks so much for creating the vid to share. Love your work Paul. cheers NZ
great video