Show Solid Propellants Save AF Money A savings to the air force of nearly 78 million dollars in 1964 and 1965 will result because solid propellant rocket motors built by Chemical Cor Cor- Corporation Corporation consistently exceed th their h expected shelf life THE LIFE of ot a rocket motor is an important consideration to the men who manage our country's defense arsenal since a weapons weapon's shelf shelt life determines determines deter deter- mines how long it can be used before it must be replaced by bya a new unit The longer the expected ex ex- petted life of ot course the few few- I er r replacements must be bG pur pur- pur- pur based by the Department of Defense The rhe 78 million dollar savings projected for 1964 and 1965 accounts accounts ac ac- ac counts for just three air force w weapon apon systems for which Thiokol Thi- Thi okol provides rocket motors There are Bre many m more re dollars saved from motors Thiokol manufactures for the army the then n navy vy and other air force terns A GOOD example of big savings sayings say save ings is the Minuteman ICBM which uses a large solid propellant pro motor produced at Thiokol's Thiokol's Thi Thi- okol's Wasatch Division This raptor tor the largest in tion was originally built for a minimum life of three years but its life has now been confirmed confirmed con con- firmed to be 48 months and Th Thiokol okol engineers now predict an eventual shelf life of ten years Related In savings to the taxpayer taxpayer tax tax- payer this means that in 1964 1984 and 1965 nearly 71 million dollars dollars dollars dol dol- dol- dol lars worth of Thiokol Minuteman Minuteman Minute Minute- man motors will not have to be purchased as replacement motors motors motors mo mo- tors for the country's major defense weapon MAJOR General T. T Alan Bennett Bennett Bennett Ben Ben- nett Commander of the Ogden Air Materiel Area which manages manages manages man man- ages ages ages' the the Minuteman program for th the air force announced recently recently re reo re- re that the program to extend extend ex ex- tend the life of Minuteman motors motors mo mo- tors has saved million dollars dol lars tars in 1964 alone Nearly 12 million dollars of that amount was saved on Thiokol contracts General Bennett also stated that during the next two or three years the air force will Selfish people never made a nation great regardless of ot the money they they- manage to ac quire save more than million dollars dot dol dol- dol lars because some sets of replacement motors will not have to be purchased for the Minuteman missile SOME REASONS that Thiokol's Thiokol's Thi Thi- okol's Minuteman motor exceeds exceeds ex ex- ex the original contractually required life lite are 1 The original design concept con proved to be more serviceable serviceable servo and less affected by aging than was expected 2 DESIGN changes were Incorporated incorporated in In- throughout the Minuteman Minuteman Min system sy tem which helped extend the motors motor's life Other motors built by kol have also compiled excellent excellent excel excel- lent shelf life records An example example example ex ex- ex ample is th the Mace booster which was extended from three years to six years at a savings of nearly one million dollars ANOTHER weapon the Falcon Falcon Falcon Fal Fal- con to air series has been extended from a minimum of two years to the current eight year shelf life ute This extension of Falcon motors has saved the theair theair theair air force nearly 55 million dol dol- dol- dol lars |