1965-03-14-sr-p16-missile-removal-is-near

March 14, 1965 Spokesman-Review Page 16:

Obsolete Missile Removal Is Near

By FRANK HEWLETT

Spokesman-Review Washington Correspondent missile.

WASHINGTON — The Air Force’s Titan intercontinental ballistic missiles in the Moses Lake area will go ‘‘off the line’ next month. The 10 Atlas-E missiles in the Spokane area will be retired three months later.

Sen, Henry M. Jackson, D- 'Wash., the source of this information, noted these were just two of 15 ICBM squadrons which are being deactivated through out the nation.

He said they have contributed mightily to pioneering work for the Missile Age and their job now is finished. Both ICBM’s have played a key role in keeping the peace and now are being replaced by the Minuteman missile which is more accurate, can be fired much faster and is easier and cheaper to operate.

Only Two Sites

All of the Atlas missiles, frequently referred to as the Model T of the ICBM’s, are being retired by the Strategic Air Command. Only two of nine Titan sites are being retained.

The Spokane and Moses Lake areas, now regarded as prime targets for Soviet missiles, are expected to loose this designation once the missiles of Fairchild and Larson Air Force Base are pulled out and the atomic war heads shipped off to Strategic Air Command depots.

Still Have Uses

The Air Force said the missiles will go to Norton AFB in California and Hill AFB in Utah. Some of the Atlas missiles will shipped later to Vandenberg AFB in California and Cape Kennedy in Florida for usage as satellite launching satellite launching vehicles. The Atlas, despite its being outmoded for Air Force use, is still regarded as the workhorse of the National Aeronautics and Space Agency.

Just as Fairchild and Larson were called on to help pioneer the Air Force’s entry into the push-button warfare age, it now appears they will also be guinea pigs in the disposal program for the no longer needed land and missile launching facilities.

There is no Air Force history on the disposal of such items as air conditioned silos, underground operations centers with doors of bank vault thickness, well equipped kitchens and sleeping quarters and lengthy connecting tunnels.

Anyone who comes up with a good use of all this by private industry stands to make some money, said an Air Force source who noted the only suggestion he had heard so far was that grain might possibly be stored in the silos not occupied by the Titan missile.

No Longer Needed

Scheduled for disposal are 216 acres of land which was acquired for Fairchild’s nine missile launching sites and 162 acres for Larson's nine Titan silos. (Both are referred to as 10-missile squadrons but the Air Force explained that includes a spare bird apiece.)

Jackson said the Air Force will no longer meed the property so is screening the Army and Navy which have first choice. If neither want the land and facilities they will be turned over to the General Services Administration. If no federal or local agencies are interested it will be sold by GSA to the highest bidders.