United States Boeing
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 · 1 operator countries
Compiled from public sources ·primary reference ↗ ·last verified 2026-07-03
Pricing: The last published procurement figure is about USD 7 million per missile in 1978 dollars. No current per-missile price is issued for the fielded force, and sustainment is funded programme-wide rather than per round.
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
Limited · 1 operator
In service since 1970. Status: active.
Lifecycle cost (est.)
No public unit price to model from. Why so few systems publish one →
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.
| Max speed (Mach) Maximum speed as a multiple of the speed of sound. Mach 2+ is typical for air-superiority fighters. | 23 Mach |
|---|---|
| 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 |
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 |
| Guidance How the weapon finds its target: inertial, GPS/GLONASS, active/semi-active radar, infrared, laser, TV, wire. | NS-50 inertial guidance |
Physical
Dimensions, weight and crew.
| Length Overall length including gun/probe where applicable. | 18.26 m |
|---|---|
| Width Overall width, matters for rail/road transport of vehicles. | 1.68 m |
| Combat weight Fully loaded weight. Lighter eases transport and bridging limits; heavier often means more armor. | 36,030 kg |
Propulsion
Engine, power and fuel.
| Engine Powerplant model and type. | Three-stage solid-fuel rocket (Thiokol M-55 first stage, Aerojet SR19-AJ-1 second stage, Aerojet/Thiokol SR73-AJ-1 third stage) |
|---|---|
| Engines Number of engines. Twin-engine gives redundancy at higher cost. | 3 |
| Propulsion type Turbofan, turboshaft, diesel, gas turbine, solid-fuel rocket, ramjet… | 3-stage solid |
Program
Cost, production scale and operators.
| Operator countries Number of countries operating the system. More operators means broader support ecosystem. | 1 |
|---|
Specifications compiled from public Boeing and reference sources ↗. Published defense figures are approximations, treat comparisons as directional. Last verified 2026-07-03.
Compare with rivals
See how it stacks up
Head-to-head comparisons
LGM-30G Minuteman III vs
Frequently asked questions
What is the range of the Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III? +
The Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III has a maximum range of 13,000 km.
What is the weapons payload of the Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III? +
The Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III can carry up to 1,150 kg of weapons payload.
How much does the Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III weigh? +
The Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III has a combat weight of 36,030 kg.
What engine does the Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III use? +
The Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III is powered by the Three-stage solid-fuel rocket (Thiokol M-55 first stage, Aerojet SR19-AJ-1 second stage, Aerojet/Thiokol SR73-AJ-1 third stage).
How many countries operate the Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III? +
The Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III is operated by 1 countries.
How much does the Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III cost? +
Boeing LGM-30G Minuteman III: The last published procurement figure is about USD 7 million per missile in 1978 dollars. No current per-missile price is issued for the fielded force, and sustainment is funded programme-wide rather than per round.. Defense program costs are rarely fully public and vary by contract and configuration.
Similar systems
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DF-41
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