USAF Tests Minuteman III Secondary Launch Capability From Navy E-6B

US Air Force crews tested the Minuteman III's airborne secondary launch path during a Simulated Electronic Launch-Minuteman exercise at Malmstrom Air Force Base from September 15–17. Operators from the 625th Strategic Operations Squadron sent Airborne Launch Control System commands aboard a Navy E-6B Mercury flown by VQ-4. Selected launch facilities were isolated from the operational alert force while engineers monitored responses through the sequence preceding first-stage ignition. No missile was fired, and the exercise evaluated command-system integration and the backup to ground launch centers while Minuteman III remains in service pending Sentinel replacement.