This abandoned shed may yet help end the world - Summary

Summary

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**Title:** The Decoy Test Range (T-KOI) in Utah, USA

**Summary:**

* The Decoy Test Range, once a vital military site in Utah, is now abandoned.
* Built during the Cold War, it was used by Hercules Incorporated to test solid fuel rocket motors for Trident nuclear missiles.
* The site was crucial for calibrating motors to ensure accurate targeting for the US nuclear deterrent.
* After the Cold War, the site's usage declined, and it was briefly used for Soviet inspections under the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) in the 1990s.
* The site was eventually abandoned in 1999, and control reverted to the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.
* Despite its closure, T-KOI's legacy lives on, with over 220 Trident missiles, calibrated at the site, still actively deployed, maintaining the threat of mutual destruction.

Facts

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1. **Location**: The Decoy Test Range is located in Skull Valley, Utah, USA.
2. **Original Purpose**: The site served a military purpose during the Cold War.
3. **Abandonment**: The site is now long abandoned.
4. **Construction Era**: The facility was constructed during the Cold War.
5. **Entrance Sign**: A warning sign in Russian is located at the entrance.
6. **Hercules Incorporated**:
* **Founding**: Started in the late 1800s.
* **Initial Product**: Improved dynamite, named "Hercules Powder".
* **First Location**: Manufactured just outside of San Francisco.
7. **Hercules' Growth**:
* **Danger**: Approximately 60 people died in explosions over the years.
* **Key Product**: Smokeless gunpowder became vital for the US military during World Wars.
8. **Cold War Context**:
* **New Weapon**: The Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) with a nuclear warhead emerged.
* **Arms Race**: The US and Soviet Union engaged in an arms race, developing more and better nuclear weapons.
9. **Technological Advancement**:
* **Solid Fuel Rocket Motors**: Replaced liquid-based missiles, allowing for hidden launches.
* **Minuteman Missiles**: Deployed in over 1,000 underground silos across the US.
10. **Ohio-Class Submarines**:
* **Development**: Built for carrying solid fuel Trident nuclear missiles.
* **Quantity**: 24 submarines were ordered, each capable of carrying up to 24 Trident missiles.
* **Warhead Capacity**: Up to 14 warheads per Trident, totaling over 8,000 potential nuclear bombs.
11. **Decoy Test Range's Role**:
* **Purpose**: Testing site for solid fuel motors manufactured by Hercules.
* **Testing Process**: Motors were calibrated against thrust blocks, with results recorded in instrument bunkers.
12. **Safety Measures**:
* **Lightning Rods**: Installed to divert strikes and prevent explosions.
* **Moveable Buildings**: Constructed on rails to pull back before firings.
13. **Accident**:
* **Year**: 1984
* **Incident**: One man was killed, crushed by a loose motor during securement.
* **Fine**: Hercules was fined $640 by OSHA.
14. **Decline and Repurposing**:
* **Late 1980s**: Beginning of the end for Hercules due to reduced nuclear warhead production.
* **Early 1990s**: Hundreds of layoffs; site used more for storage.
15. **START Treaty (1991)**:
* **Agreement**: US and Soviet Union to reduce nuclear stockpiles.
* **Inspection Site**: Decoy Test Range was chosen for Soviet/Russian inspections.
16. **Final Operations**:
* **1995**: Hercules Incorporated put itself up for sale due to cancelled contracts.
* **1999**: Alliant Tech Systems acquired Hercules; the lease on Decoy Test Range expired and was not renewed.
17. **Current Status**:
* **Ownership**: Control reverted to the Skull Valley Indian Reservation.
* **Legacy**: Over 220 Trident nuclear missiles, calibrated at Decoy, remain actively deployed.