Comment:  Good article from a former MMIII Wing Commander.  My active duty time at GF AFB, SAC base in the late 60's early 70's saw MMIII and B-52 systems in full force displaying deterrence.  There was no mention of life spans of either of these systems back then.  It is only now a huge point of a 10 year life span for MMIII.  Perhaps true then thinking a MMIV would replace it that quickly.  We did go through MMI and MMII replaced by MMIII.  So maybe the 10 years made sense for the missile itself.  However, the huge underground and top side infrastructure involved with this system spread out over a vast territory surely had a longer than 10 year life in mind.  Now we are faced with a total rehab on the way involving far more than the missile itself.  The test launches from Vandenberg show the missile is still a major deterrence notwithstanding.

https://www.airandspaceforces.com/opinion-sentinel-non-negotiable-defense-investment/

Quote:

June 14, 2024 | By Col. Jennifer Reeves, USAF (Ret.)

For deterrence to work, our nuclear forces must be credible. That is why Airmen and Guardians last week launched not one, but two unarmed Minuteman III (MMIII) intercontinental ballistic missiles from Vandenberg Space Force Base. These periodic demonstrations put our nuclear preparedness on display. 

Yet it’s essential to recognize that those Minuteman III missiles are decades old, well beyond their engineered lifespans. Today, the Air Force desperately needs to update those missiles and the silos they launch from with modern technology. This is what the Sentinel program is all about. In a world where threats are on the rise, this program is vitally important.