Dec. 28, 2020 50th Anniversary: First Minuteman III squadron starts operations On Dec. 29, 1970, the first Minuteman III squadron obtained full operational status.
Dec. 28, 2020 Commentary: Minuteman III still stands for nuclear deterrence 50 years later Fifty years after achieving operational alert, one leg of the nuclear triad continues to stand as world’s most formidable arm of nuclear deterrence.
Dec. 14, 2020 50th Anniversary: Last Minuteman III launches from Cape Kennedy As 1970 crept towards the end of the year, continued launches of the Minuteman III ICBM at the Eastern Range of Cape Kennedy, Florida (now known as Cape Canaveral), were nearing an end as well.