Editing LGM-30 Minuteman (section)

===Missile gap===
In 1957, a series of intelligence reports suggested the Soviet Union was far ahead in the missile race and would be able to overwhelm the US by the early 1960s. If the Soviets were building missiles in the numbers being predicted by the CIA and others within the defense establishment, by as early as 1961 they would have enough to attack all SAC and ICBM bases in the US in a single [[Pre-emptive nuclear strike|first strike]]. It was later demonstrated that this "[[missile gap]]" was just as fictional as the "[[bomber gap]]" of a few years earlier,<ref name="myths">{{cite web |first=Dwane |last=Day |url = http://www.thespacereview.com/article/523/1 |title = Of myths and missiles: the truth about John F. Kennedy and the Missile Gap |website = The Space Review |date=3 January 2006 }}</ref> but through the late 1950s, it was a serious concern.

The Air Force responded by beginning research into survivable strategic missiles, starting the [[WS-199]] program. Initially, this focused on [[air-launched ballistic missile]]s, which would be carried aboard aircraft flying far from the Soviet Union, and thus impossible to attack by either ICBM, because they were moving, or long-range [[interceptor aircraft]], because they were too far away. In the shorter term, looking to rapidly increase the number of missiles in its force, Minuteman was given crash development status starting in September 1958. Advanced surveying of the potential silo sites had already begun in late 1957.<ref name="2010_Yengst" />{{rp|page=46}}

Adding to their concerns was a Soviet [[anti-ballistic missile]] system which was known to be under development at [[Sary Shagan]]. WS-199 was expanded to develop a [[maneuvering reentry vehicle]] (MARV), which greatly complicated the problem of shooting down a warhead. Two designs were tested in 1957, [[Alpha Draco]] and the Boost Glide Reentry Vehicle. These used long and skinny arrow-like shapes that provided aerodynamic lift in the high atmosphere, and could be fitted to existing missiles like Minuteman.<ref name="2010_Yengst" />

The shape of these reentry vehicles required more room on the front of the missile than a traditional reentry vehicle design. To allow for this future expansion, the Minuteman silos were revised to be built {{convert|13|feet}} deeper. Although Minuteman would not deploy a [[boost-glide]] warhead, the extra space proved invaluable in the future, as it allowed the missile to be extended and carry more fuel and payload.<ref name="2010_Yengst" />{{rp|page=46}}