War and Peace in the Nuclear Age; Have and Have-Nots; 108; MX: Basing Mode Animation

The ethnics basing mode is a multiple protective shelter system. The planned cluster deployment areas are located in the southwestern United States. This photograph of a typical Valley has been retouched to simulate the locations of shelters and rude. The following animation of the basing mode is not drawn to scale and the shelters and roads have been intentionally enlarged to clearly detect the operation of the system. A cluster road will connect 23 horizontal shelters which support a single M-x missile. A specially designed transporter will move the missile in its launcher on unpaved roads between shelters a two and a half acre area around each shelter roughly the same size as currently surrounding each Minuteman silo will be fenced for security reasons. All other areas will continue to be open to the public. The emic system is currently planned for 200 missiles and forty six hundred shelters shelters and support areas will require about 25 square nautical miles of land

to be removed from public use. Other activities such as mining and ranching will be permitted in the areas between the shelters. Private aircraft will be permitted to fly over them in accordance with FAA flight rules. Each of the values that appear is usable based on geological considerations will accommodate several clusters adjacent complexes will be interconnected by service roads unable to support the weight of the transporter. Thus a single M-x missile will be constantly associated with a cluster of 23 protective shelters. Several factors contribute to the survivability of this system. Each shelter will be about a mile from any other so that one enemy warhead could not eliminate more than one shelter. The transporter vehicle carrying the missile and launcher would periodically move on unpaved roads from shelter to shelter at one of the 23 shelters. The missile and its launch would be

installed. A mass simulator with identical weight and other properties would then replace the missile and launch air into transporter. These simulators would have been installed in a shelter at the time of construction. At each remaining shelter installation procedures using the massive elaters would be carried out so that Soviet surveillance systems would not know which shelter actually contains the missile. Additionally electromagnetic and other emissions would be simulated in each empty shelter and in the transporter normally the M-x missile would change shelters within its cluster. Only after a routine maintenance cycle perhaps a few times per year you have compromise of missile location is suspected. The system could operate in two additional ways to maintain its survivability. First missiles could be relocated to other shelters in several hours. Such a repast would ensure that all missile locations remain undetected.

Secondly the transporter with its missile and launcher could be placed in constant motion on tactical warning of attack. The missile launcher would be deployed into the nearest shelter through a combination of concealment and mobility. The security of the emic system can be maintained as a result. The Soviets must target all forty six hundred shelters to destroy a significant number of M-x missiles which in itself should deter such an attack. Should the national command authorities require M-x to retaliate. The shelter door would open the launcher would emerge erect and inject the missile. The first stage would ignite and M-x would be on its way to its assigned targets. Many tests have been conducted in the evaluation of the various basing mode concepts. There's 1.4 million pound transporter vehicle is now being used for road

ability and maneuverability testing several different types of dirt and gravel roads have been constructed for the vehicle to walk right on to determine cost and or ability. Scale models of horizontal shelters were constructed and subjected to high explosive blast simulating nuclear environments to gather design data. Doors were constructed and tested in Debris Studies. This data is being applied to be current design. So ejection from a canister has been repeatedly demonstrated in a series of design he said but with a test and the concept of preflight ignition has been demonstrated in the last test. The emic system has been conceived to maximize verification

but design enables Soviet surveillance systems to determine how many missile launchers have been assembled and deployed. First the designated assembly area allness all the launcher components would be received from their manufacturers. Assembly would occur in facilities with OpenTable roofs to expedite observation for salt purification. Only one missile would be assembled at a time with a process taking about a week. The assembled missile in its launcher would be transferred to the deployment area using a special transport vehicle on a designated transportation network. Each shelter cluster would be accessible only through a major verification barrier. The special transport vehicle would deposit the missile in its launch or after cluster maintenance facility after the special transport vehicle leaves. The barrier would be re-installed ensuring that a second missile could not be introduced

into that cluster. The missile in its launcher would be loaded into the transporter in the cluster. The only place this unit will exist in operational form. This combined unit would now visit each of the 23 shelters with the Nestle and launcher being installed inside one of them and its place in the transporter taken by the simulator. This entire assembly process would be repeated for each cluster and would be reversed removal of any missile be required. Emplacement of an ex missile and launch your for each set of shelters one complete deployment for that valley as another verification feature. Each shelter would be fitted with points which could be removed for inspection. This would allow Soviet surveillance systems to verify the number of deployed missiles the transporter itself is another aid to solve. Verification just slightly smaller than his earlier version at a loaded

weight of up to one and a quarter million and a length of 180 feet. The transporter will be too heavy and too cumbersome to travel other than the specially constructed raft it would sink into the surface of the trap by terrain variations or to. Every effort will be made to minimize the environmental impact of the M-x. In addition to withdrawing as little public land as possible with shelters and road networks are being designed to be nearly flush with the ground for maximum landscape blending. It should be remembered that a typical valley with shelters and roads drawn into actual scale would look like this photo rather than as depicted for clarity in the animation. The required environmental impact studies are underway to have been completed and two more are in process one for selection of a deployment area and the other for a production decision in 1903. There may also be a supplemental environmental

impact statements. AMEX will be as energy self-sufficient as possible. Each shelter may require approximately 20 kilowatts of power to generate the power required. The use of solar or other renewable energy systems such as geothermal plants and windmills will be investigated to reduce the need for commercial power. The overall cost of the emic system during its 10 year acquisition period is about 33 billion dollars in 1980 constant dollars its operating costs are 440 million per year in 1900 dollars as a comparison. Our Minuteman system cost 40 billion in comparable dollars and its operation average is about 340 million in one thousand eighty dollars. Our B-52 program cost fifty four billion in one thousand eighty dollars and Trident will cost thirty nine billion. Since both are manned systems and more labor intensive the operating cost of these systems runs about

three times the cost of M-x. Annexes in size within the constraints of two and to a level necessary to maintain the deterrent cost year of our strategic triad with SLBM forces at near parity and the US bomber forces with an advantage in cruise missiles. It is important that the M-x role they want to assuring a balance with the Soviet ICBM forces. The M-x operational force as currently planned presents any adversary with a choice of acceptable options. If the Soviets choose to attack our triad excluding the already 600 shelters we can expect an unacceptable response from 200 m x missiles with 2000 warheads. Or if they choose to attack the entire triad including an X they would expand almost all of their ICBM resources leaving the US with almost half of the annex warheads. In your case any

aggressor is deterred from an initial attack. If the outcome is guaranteed to place him at a disadvantage in addition to preserving our deterrent posture without adding more ICBMs to our inventory. AMEX will provide a new strategic capability to keep pace with possible Soviet force build ups by adding additional shelters instead of missiles. Moreover the emic system provides the flexibility to deter Soviet warhead build up. We could counter such a Soviet build up by increasing our show. In the extreme case a ballistic missile defense to give the Soviet actions warranted withdraw from the existing Anti Ballistic Missile Treaty in this regard. We plan to construct the basic forty six hundred shelters in such a way that an additional 2000 shelters could be added within the original shelter deployment area.

Working together to ensure that it is designed to be compatible with the Army's low altitude ballistic missile defense system. Do you know the planners believe such a Soviet force expansion against our shelters would not be attractive to the Soviet Union. In fact a Department of Defense believes that the Annex will provide the foundation to ultimately reduce.