The immense amount of engineering and technology that went into the Safeguard program faced an interesting challenge in August 1975 - and not by any advances in Soviet nuclear warhead design.
As reported by U.S. Senator Milton Young in December of that year, the Department of Defense had decided to modify the hours of operation at SRMSC. While the long-range Perimeter Acquisition
Radar (PAR) would remain on a 24-hour a day watch, the Missile Site Radar - the place where the ABM battle would be directed - was put on a 40-hour-per-week basis. Staffing was drawn back
from 1,600 persons to a 1,200 person "standby mode". In order to blunt any nuclear missile attack upon the Grand Forks missile field, the Soviets had to refrain from starting
World War III on a weekend.
Sources:
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Ronald Reagan Minuteman Missile State Historic Site
via Facebook (4)
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Facebook post (excerpt)
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Photo R054 (top of page) from Cavalier County Job Development Authority
