Operation of the Minuteman III ICBM

The Minuteman III ICBM is an American ground-based nuclear missile. Originally featuring a 330 kiloton W78 warhead, the Minuteman III arsenal was upgraded in 2005 to the 475 kiloton W87 warhead. The Minuteman III has a maximum range of 8100 miles (13,000 km), and can be launched in less than sixty seconds. It is the standard missile of the ground-based third of the American nuclear arsenal, with over five hundred missile silos hidden in the United States and worldwide.