Titan Missile Museum

I was a child in the 1960's and clearly remember hiding under my desk covering my head and neck ("Duck and Cover") during the air raid drills at school. There were weekly tests of the Emergency Broadcast System, signs on local businesses identifying them as air raid shelters, and the ear piercing sounds of the air raid sirens. The Cold War was part of my young life, so I was intrigued by the Titan Missile Museum just south of Tucson.

The Titan II missile was the largest and most powerful intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) ever built by the United States. The missile was able to launch in just 58 seconds, and capable of delivering a 9-megaton nuclear warhead to targets more than 6,300 miles away in about 35 minutes.

Titan II was a retaliatory, or deterrent, weapon. Its purpose was to stop an enemy attack through the fear of retaliation. To be credible the missile had to be able to survive an attack and still function, that is why Titan II was kept underground in a massive concrete and steel silo.

During the Cold War, 54 Titan II missiles stood ever alert in their underground silos across the country protecting the United States from 1963 to 1987.  This site is the only remaining complex of the 54 Titan II missile sites.

When the facility was active it took several phone calls at different checkpoints with the appropriate secret codes to enter the complex. There were four man crews (2 officers and 2 enlisted technicians) working 24 hour shifts. Once inside the complex they did not come back to the surface until the next shift arrived. There was also a 2 man rule, within the complex (except in the crew living area) you had to always be with another crew member.

The entrance to the silo.

The crew working and living areas were protected from the silo by several 6,000 pound blast doors that were so precisely balanced that they were able to be opened and closed by a single person.

One of the blast doors.

The living and control levels were designed to sustain a blast and were suspended by huge springs to absorb the shock waves and ensure the equipment would still function.

Our tour took us to the launch control center with all the state of the art equipment (by 1960s standards).

The order to launch the missile would come from the president in coded form.  The officers would decode the message, enter the target information, and initiate the launch sequence.  It required both officers turning the launch keys at the same time.  The officers did not know the final target for security reasons.

A member of our tour initiating the launch of the missile with the tour guide.

The final stop on our tour was the silo with the missile (minus the warhead) still in place.

All in all it was a fascinating look at the Cold War and the deterrents that were used to keep the peace.

Today's 3 Fun Facts:

1. The facility's highest state of alert was November 22, 1963, when President John F. Kennedy was shot.  The keys were ordered to be placed on the tables at the launch consoles to prepare for a possible launch. 
2. There were three locations for the Titan II silos throughout the country (Wichita, Kansas; Little Rock, AR; and Tucson, AZ).
3. I really don't think "Duck and Cover" under the desks in our classroom would have saved us.