Article Posted on : - Aug 05, 2013

CALIFORNIA (BNS): BAE Systems has received a contract worth $534 million from the US Air Force to maintain the readiness of the nation's intercontinental ballistic missiles.

Under the contract, the company will provide systems engineering, integration, testing, logistics and other services to support the missile, ground and launch systems for the 450 Minuteman III missiles deployed all across the US.

"The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile program is a pillar in our national security, and our job is to guarantee it never fails," said Erin Moseley, president of BAE Systems' Support Solutions sector.

The Minuteman missiles are dispersed in hardened silos to protect against attack and connected to an underground launch control centre through a system of hardened cables. Launch crews, consisting of two officers, perform round-the-clock alert in the launch control centre.