LGM-30G Minuteman III

US land-based silo ICBM, backbone of the ground leg of the nuclear triad since 1970, being replaced by the LGM-35A Sentinel.

In service since 1970

Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-03

Procurement snapshot

Availability & export

US ITAR-controlled

Export needs U.S. State Dept (DDTC) approval; end-use & re-transfer restrictions apply.

Channel: Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Direct Commercial Sale

Fielded & proven

Operator data not public

In service since 1970. Status: active.

Lifecycle cost (est.)

No public unit price to model from.

Interoperability

No standardised NATO calibre / datalink detected in public specs.

Derived guidance from public data, export regime by country of origin, lifecycle from the GAO ~30% acquisition rule. Verify eligibility, pricing and offsets with the manufacturer and your acquisition authority.

Overview

Deployed in hardened underground silos, the Minuteman III has been the sole land-based leg of the US nuclear triad for over five decades. It carries one to three MIRV warheads (W78/W87), though only one warhead is deployed per missile under New START limits.

Full specifications

Performance

Speed, range, altitude and engagement capability.

Range Maximum distance: ferry range for aircraft, operational range for vehicles, maximum engagement distance for missiles. Higher means more standoff or persistence.: 13,000 km

Stronger than 69% of its class

Firepower

Armament, payload and guidance.

Weapons payload Maximum ordnance weight the platform can carry. Higher means more strike capacity per sortie.: 1,150 kg
Warhead type Blast-fragmentation, shaped charge (HEAT), penetrator, thermobaric or nuclear-capable.: 1-3 MIRV (W78/W87), 1 deployed under New START

Propulsion

Engine, power and fuel.

Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet…: 3-stage solid

Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-03.

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