Activated by Strategic Air Command on 14 December 1965. Organized on 1 April 1966. Inactivated on 19 August 2008
P-00 2.9 mi NE of Conrad MT; 58.3 mi NW of Malmstrom AFB
Q-00 9.0 mi E of Ledger MT; 55.4 mi NxNW of Malmstrom AFB
R-00 12.8 mi ExNE of Brady MT; 44.0 mi NxNW of Malmstrom AFB
S-00 13.5 mi NxNW of Dutton MT; 45.8 mi NW of Malmstrom AFB
T-00 4.0 mi SxSW of Valier MT; 71.8 mi NW of Malmstrom AFB
Overview
The 341st Missile Wing was the first United States Air ForceLGM-30 Minuteman ICBM wing. On 15 July 1961, the 341st was reactivated, and a year later, in late July 1962, the first LGM-30A Minuteman I arrived and was placed at the Alpha-9 launch facility. The 10th SMS accepted its final flight on 28 February 1963. Two months later, the 12th SMS became 100 percent combat ready. In July, the 490th SMS became fully operational, giving the 341st SMW responsibility for 150 silos. A fourth squadron, the 564th, a former SM-65D Atlas unit, stood up on 1 April 1966 with the LGM-30F Minuteman II. Beginning in 1967, all Minuteman I A and B models were replaced by the Minuteman II. The upgrade was completed by June 1969. In 1975, the 564th SMS switched from the Minuteman II to the LGM-30G Minuteman III model. On 28 September 1991, President Bush ordered all Minuteman IIs off alert status. This order affected three-quarters of the 200 ICBMs stationed at Malmstrom. From 1992 to 1994, the Air Force removed 150 Minuteman II missiles from their silos to comply with the pending START I Treaty. The 10th, 12th and 490th silos were upgraded to receive Minuteman III missiles, joining the 50 Minuteman III missiles already on alert status with the 564th In 2007 the 564th SMS's 50 silos were retired to reduce operating costs. They were last upgraded in the early 1970s and were considerably different from the newer Minuteman III silos upgraded in the 1990s. With their inactivation, the United States number of ground-based ICBMs was reduced to 450.
Facilities
The Missile Alert Facility consists of a buried and hardened Launch Control Center and an above-ground Launch Control Support Building. MAFs were formerly known as Launch Control Facilities but terminology was changed in 1992 with the inactivation of Strategic Air Command. In addition, a MAF has a landing pad for helicopters; a large radio tower; a large "top hat" HF antenna; a vehicle garage for security vehicles; recreational facilities, and one or two sewage lagoons. The entire site, except for the helicopter pad and sewage lagoons are secured with a fence and security personnel. About a dozen airmen and officers are assigned to a MAF. The underground Launch Control Center contains the command and control equipment for missile operations. It is staffed by the two launch officers who have primary control and responsibility for the 10 underground and hardened Launch Facilities s within its flight which contains the operational missile. Each of the five LCCs also has the ability to command and monitor all 50 LFs within the squadron. The LF is unmanned, except when maintenance and security personnel are needed. A squadron is composed of five flights; flights are denoted by a letter of the alphabet with the facilities controlled by the flight being designated by a number, 01 through 11, with 01 being the MAF.
