Ellsworth AFB

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Ellsworth AFB
Credit - © Mark Wade

Type: ICBM Base. Operator: USA. Country: USA. Latitude: 44.13000 deg. Longitude: -103.10000 deg.

Titan I and Minuteman ICBM base. On 2 January 1942 the U.S. War Department established an air base at this location for training of B-17 bomber crews. The base was shut down after the war, but was reactivated in 1947 as a B-29 bomber base. These aircraft were succeeded by the B-36 in 1949, the B-52 in 1957, and the B-1B in 1986.

In January 1962 the 44th Strategic Missile Wing was activated at Ellsworth, initially equipped with Titan 1 ICBM's. These were supplemented with 150 Minuteman 1 ICBM's in later years. By October 1971 these were replaced with Minuteman 2's. In 1991, the Cold War over, these missiles were taken off alert status. By 1994 the silos had been destroyed and the ICBM mission was over.

Ellsworth hosted the unique 'Long Life' test of a Minuteman ICBM in 1965. This was the only launch of an ICBM from an operational inland US missile site.

Launch Pads

Missile Site A-01 - Latitude: 44.3314 deg. Longitude: -102.0517 deg.

Missile Site A-02 - Latitude: 44.4072 deg. Longitude: -101.9306 deg.

Missile Site A-03 - Latitude: 44.3175 deg. Longitude: -101.9489 deg.

Missile Site A-04 - Latitude: 44.2636 deg. Longitude: -101.8489 deg.

Missile Site A-05 - Latitude: 44.2200 deg. Longitude: -101.9608 deg.

Missile Site A-07 - Latitude: 44.1819 deg. Longitude: -102.0481 deg.

Missile Site A-08 - Latitude: 44.2286 deg. Longitude: -102.2092 deg.

Missile Site B-01 - Latitude: 44.0989 deg. Longitude: -102.2839 deg.

Missile Site B-02 - Latitude: 44.1531 deg. Longitude: -102.2061 deg.

Missile Site B-03 - Latitude: 44.1267 deg. Longitude: -102.1114 deg.

Missile Site B-04 - Latitude: 44.0694 deg. Longitude: -102.1692 deg.

Missile Site B-05 - Latitude: 43.9897 deg. Longitude: -102.1603 deg.

Missile Site B-06 - Latitude: 43.9275 deg. Longitude: -102.2369 deg.

Missile Site B-07 - Latitude: 44.0225 deg. Longitude: -102.2867 deg.

Missile Site B-08 - Latitude: 43.9392 deg. Longitude: -102.3372 deg.

Missile Site B-09 - Latitude: 44.0389 deg. Longitude: -102.3803 deg.

Missile Site B-11 - Latitude: 44.0222 deg. Longitude: -102.2864 deg.

Missile Site C-01 - Latitude: 44.1836 deg. Longitude: -101.7028 deg.

Missile Site C-02 - Latitude: 44.3294 deg. Longitude: -101.6792 deg.

Missile Site C-03 - Latitude: 44.1633 deg. Longitude: -101.6061 deg.

Missile Site C-04 - Latitude: 44.0831 deg. Longitude: -101.6864 deg.

Missile Site C-05 - Latitude: 44.0267 deg. Longitude: -101.7247 deg.

Missile Site C-10 - Latitude: 44.1803 deg. Longitude: -101.8431 deg.

Missile Site C-11 - Latitude: 44.2831 deg. Longitude: -101.7494 deg.

Missile Site D-02 - Latitude: 44.0367 deg. Longitude: -101.9458 deg.

Missile Site D-03 - Latitude: 43.9647 deg. Longitude: -101.9283 deg.

Missile Site D-04 - Latitude: 43.9128 deg. Longitude: -101.8014 deg.

Missile Site D-05 - Latitude: 43.8433 deg. Longitude: -101.8389 deg.

Missile Site D-06 - Latitude: 43.8061 deg. Longitude: -101.9422 deg.

Missile Site D-07 - Latitude: 43.8200 deg. Longitude: -102.1186 deg.

Missile Site D-08 - Latitude: 43.8761 deg. Longitude: -102.0633 deg.

Missile Site D-09 - Latitude: 43.9275 deg. Longitude: -102.2369 deg.

Missile Site D-10 - Latitude: 43.9600 deg. Longitude: -102.0581 deg.

Missile Site D-11 - Latitude: 44.0319 deg. Longitude: -102.0689 deg.

Missile Site E-01 - Latitude: 43.9197 deg. Longitude: -101.4806 deg.

Missile Site E-02 - Latitude: 44.0564 deg. Longitude: -101.4508 deg.

Missile Site E-03 - Latitude: 43.9072 deg. Longitude: -101.2847 deg.

Missile Site E-04 - Latitude: 43.8444 deg. Longitude: -101.3442 deg.

Missile Site E-05 - Latitude: 43.8533 deg. Longitude: -101.4611 deg.

Missile Site E-06 - Latitude: 43.8331 deg. Longitude: -101.5631 deg.

Missile Site E-07 - Latitude: 43.8403 deg. Longitude: -101.7397 deg.

Missile Site E-08 - Latitude: 43.8658 deg. Longitude: -101.6594 deg.

Missile Site E-09 - Latitude: 43.9386 deg. Longitude: -101.6628 deg.

Missile Site E-10 - Latitude: 43.9697 deg. Longitude: -101.5603 deg.

Missile Site E-11 - Latitude: 44.0553 deg. Longitude: -101.5883 deg.

Missile Site I-05 - Latitude: 44.6125 deg. Longitude: -102.1283 deg.

Missile Site K-01 - Latitude: 44.5728 deg. Longitude: -103.8614 deg.

Missile Site K-03 - Latitude: 44.6208 deg. Longitude: -103.6872 deg.

Missile Site K-04 - Latitude: 44.5864 deg. Longitude: -103.7678 deg.

Missile Site K-05 - Latitude: 44.5314 deg. Longitude: -103.6919 deg.

Missile Site K-06 - Latitude: 44.4414 deg. Longitude: -103.6881 deg.

Missile Site K-07 - Latitude: 44.4728 deg. Longitude: -103.7758 deg.

Missile Site K-08 - Latitude: 44.5261 deg. Longitude: -103.9372 deg.

Missile Site K-09 - Latitude: 44.5483 deg. Longitude: -104.0347 deg.

Missile Site K-10 - Latitude: 44.6364 deg. Longitude: -104.0111 deg.

Missile Site L-05 - Latitude: 44.4619 deg. Longitude: -103.5097 deg.

Missile Site L-06 - Latitude: 44.5150 deg. Longitude: -103.4494 deg.

Missile Site L-07 - Latitude: 44.5169 deg. Longitude: -103.5783 deg.

Missile Site L-08 - Latitude: 44.5847 deg. Longitude: -103.5667 deg.

General / Launch Complex Unknown Chronology

1960 December 2 - Launch Vehicle: Titan. Titan I ICBM 850th SMS activated at Ellsworth AFB

1962 September 28 - Launch Vehicle: Titan. Titan I ICBM 850th SMS (nine missiles) declared operational at Ellsworth AFB

1965 February 1 - Launch Vehicle: Titan. Last Titan I ICBM taken off alert status at Ellsworth AFB

1965 March 1 - 19:00 GMT - Launch Vehicle: Minuteman 1. LONG LIFE test Agency: USAF 44SMW. Apogee: 1.00 km (0.60 mi). Approved by the Secretary of Defense in November 1964, 'Project Long Life' called for the short-range launch from on operational missile base of three modified Minuteman IB ICBMs to provide a realistic test for this system. Each missile would contain enough propellant for a 7-second flight and have inert upper stages and reentry vehicles. This first launch occurred on March 1, 1965, and successfully demonstrated the ability of a SAC missile crew to launch an ICBM.

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© Mark Wade, 1997 - 2008 except where otherwise noted.