The Air Force's second major intercontinental ballistic missile program. Titan was the tallest ICBM, and the Titan II carried the largest warhead, in terms of physical size and yield, in the US nuclear arsenal. Titan I was operational from 1962 to 1966 at five bases (Lowry AFB, Colo., Ellsworth AFB, S. D., Beale AFB, Calif., Larson AFB, Wash., and Mountain Home AFB, Idaho). The missiles were housed in silos and were raised to the surface to fire, which took an average of 20 minutes. Titan II development began in 1958, and the missile was flight tested in 1961 and entered operational service in 1963. The Titan II featured storable liquid fuel, which reduced reaction time to about one minute. During its terminal dive, the warhead streaked toward the target at more than 15 times the speed of sound. Modified Titan IIs were used as the booster rocket on all of the Gemini manned space missions. Titan IIs were stationed at Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz., McConnell AFB, Kan., and Little Rock AFB, Ark. On May 5, 1987, the last Titan II was taken off strategic alert at Little Rock. After being retired from service as ICBMs in 1987, 14 Titan IIs were refurbished to provide an expendable space-launch capability. Later developments, Titan III and Titan IV and the Titan 34 family, are still in use as satellite boosters.
| Contractors: | Martin Co. (later Martin Marietta Aerospace) |
| Locations Built: | Denver, Colo. |
| Number Built: (USAF) | Unconfirmed (64 operational missiles at peak deployment) |
| First Launch: | February 6, 1959 |
| First Flight Model: | XSM-68A |
| First Flight Location: | Patrick AFB, Fla. |
| Models/Variants: | SM- 68A (later redesignated HGM-25A Titan I). LGM-25B, C Titan II |
| Powerplant: | First stage: one Aerojet General LR87 storable liquid fuel rocket of 430,000 lb thrust; second stage: one Aerojet General LR91 storable liquid fuel rocket of 100,000 lb thrust |
| Diameter: | 10 ft 0 in. |
| Weight: | 103 ft 0 in |
| Armament: | One Mk. 6 reentry vehicle with one W-53 nuclear warhead with a yield of nine megatons |
| Cost: | $1.5 million (Titan I) |
| Max. Speed: | More than 17,000 mph |
| Range: | 6,300 mi. |
| Ceiling: | 620 mi (Titan I) |
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