The Boeing Company
08/18/2021 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/18/2021 19:15
Four in a row: ICBM team receives fourth straight perfect evaluation rating from the Air Force, leans into digital transformation
Four in a row: ICBM team receives fourth straight perfect evaluation rating from the Air Force, leans into digital transformation
August 18, 2021 in Defense
Boeing test and evaluation engineers calibrate instruments at the Little Mountain Test Facility in Ogden, Utah.
Boeing
The U.S. Air Force's Minuteman III Systems Directorate has awarded the Boeing team at the Little Mountain Test Facility in Utah its fourth consecutive perfect evaluation rating for 'meeting and exceeding' facility and operations goals during 'challenging COVID-19 times.'
Among the team's achievements recognized by the Air Force was the delivery of significant cost-savings for the Air Force as a result of improvements to key test processes and equipment, and the completion of critical site operations manuals more than three months ahead of schedule on average.
The team also developed thousands of 'eSeries' models - the Air Force's new designation for systems that are digitally engineered - of testing components. Additionally, they supported planning efforts to determine future facility test requirements for the planned replacement for the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM - the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent.
From left to right: Little Mountain Test Facility test and evaluation engineer, Scott Miller; facility manager, Sam Peterson; technical writer, Tressa Clark; and Environment, Health & Safety lead, Dale Sterrett.
Boeing
'This team continues to set the bar for designing, operating and maintaining one-of-a-kind environmental test labs, and delivering high-quality results ahead of schedule,' said Kelly John, program manager at the Little Mountain Test Facility. 'Our team's across-the-board dedication and understanding of the mission - from facilities support to our technicians and engineers - make results like this possible. They work like a family and take pride in everything they do.'
The state-of-the-art facility at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, is dedicated to testing operations to ensure that aerospace and defense systems like the Boeing-built Minuteman III ICBM remain ready and operational under the most extreme environmental conditions - ranging from lightning, radiation and sub-freezing temperatures to electromagnetic pulses, ground shocks and vibrations.
The site also boasts an incredible safety record - going almost four years without a lost workday and only having one lost day accident in nearly 20 years.
'Our team has a long-established culture of safety it puts into action every day,' said Dale Sterrett, Little Mountain Test Facility Environment, Health & Safety leader. 'Our safety record and consistently high evaluation scores show that with teamwork there are no limits to what can be accomplished.'
Boeing has exclusively managed the Little Mountain Test Facility for the Air Force since 2007 and has supported operations at the site for more than 45 years.