VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, Calif. – On Thursday, Lieutenant Colonel Suzanne Lamar will assume command of a group modernizing the testing and evaluation infrastructure at Vandenberg Space Force Base for intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM).
According to the Department of the Air Force, Site Activation Task Force (SATAF) Detachment 9 will begin the process of upgrading the supporting infrastructure at Vandenberg as the aging Minuteman III ICBM system is replaced with the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM program.
The Space Force Base's Western Range is the primary testing ground for the Air Force Global Strike Command's ICBM deterrence architecture explained a press release from Vandenberg Space Force.
"Vandenberg’s legacy is intrinsically linked to testing the reliability of our nation's deterrent architecture," said Col. Mark Shoemaker, Commander of Space Launch Delta 30, the unit overseeing all Spaceport and Western Range operations at Vandenberg SFB. "In the face of emerging multi-domain threats, our actions today are critical to maintaining our edge in national defense for years to come."
The up to 400 Minuteman III missiles that make up the ground-based nuclear deterrence infrastructure is part of a trio of launch platforms that, "underwrites every U.S. military operation on the globe—it is the backstop and foundation of our national defense and that of our allies," detailed the U.S. Air Force's Nuclear Weapons Center.
The replacement of current Minuteman III ICBMs with Sentinel ICBMs is expected to extend the capabilities of the land-based leg of the United States nuclear deterrence triad through 2075 stated the Air force Nuclear Weapons Center.
Illustration of an LGM-35A Sentinel launch silo courtesy of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons CenterThe United States's ICBM force has remained on a continuous alert since 1959 and the Air Force's Sentinel Deployment and Minuteman III Decommissioning and Disposal Project Environmental Permitting and Compliance project aims to replace all land-based Minuteman III ICBMs - first entering operation in the early 1970s - with Sentinel ICBMs shared the Air Force's Nuclear Weapons Center.
A Minuteman III ICBM. Image courtesy of the U.S. Department of DefenseLt. Col. Lamar will oversee the construction and refurbishment of facilities essential to the Sentinel program as well as support Sentinel testing and training missions at the military installation explained Space Launch Delta 30 Tuesday.
"The activation of SATAF Detachment 9 is crucial for ensuring Vandenberg's infrastructure is ready to support the next generation of ICBMs," Lamar said. "This ceremony marks an important step in maintaining the effectiveness and reliability of the nation's ground-based strategic deterrent force."
According to Vandenberg Space Force Base, Site Activation Task Forces were first initiated by General Curtis LeMay in the 1960s to construct missile fields, analyze existing missile infrastructure, and identify roadblocks to future missions.
Vandenberg Space Force Base will host one of the SATAFs with the other three heading to Francis E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana, and Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota detailed Vandenberg Space Force Base.
Vandenberg SFB to modernize intercontinental ballistic missile infrastructure starting Thursday News Channel 3-12.
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