EaglePicher Technologies, a company based in Joplin, Missouri, has secured a $19,982,445 contract from the U.S. Air Force to produce batteries for the guidance systems of the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile.
U.S. airmen launch Minuteman III ICBM from Boeing E-6 Mercury
Photo credit: USAF
Announced on March 11, 2025, the work will be carried out entirely in Joplin and is expected to wrap up by March 11, 2030. This deal, funded through fiscal 2025 working capital funds, aims to keep the aging Minuteman III fleet operational, a critical piece of America’s nuclear defense strategy.
The Minuteman III is no ordinary weapon. First deployed in the 1970s, it remains a cornerstone of the United States’ nuclear triad, alongside submarines and bombers. These missiles sit in silos across the Great Plains, ready to launch at a moment’s notice, capable of striking targets over 6,000 miles away.
What makes them so effective is their guidance system, a complex network of electronics that ensures the missile finds its mark with pinpoint accuracy. The batteries EaglePicher will produce are the lifeblood of this system, providing the power needed to keep the missile’s navigation and control components running smoothly during its flight.
To understand why these batteries matter, it helps to look at how the Minuteman III works. The missile uses an inertial navigation system, a technology that relies on gyroscopes and accelerometers to track its position and trajectory without needing external signals like GPS.
This system kicks in the moment the missile leaves its silo, guiding it through the boost phase, where its three rocket stages ignite in sequence, and into the midcourse phase, where it coasts through space. Finally, it directs the reentry vehicle—carrying a nuclear warhead—toward its target.
The batteries power this entire process, ensuring the guidance system stays active for the roughly 20 to 30 minutes it takes the missile to complete its journey. Without reliable power, the missile could veer off course, rendering it useless.
EaglePicher’s role in this process is not new. The company has a long history of supplying specialized power solutions for military and aerospace applications. Their batteries are built to withstand extreme conditions—think decades of storage in a silo, followed by the sudden shock and vibration of a launch.
While the exact type of battery for this contract isn’t specified, experts suggest they could be thermal batteries, a technology EaglePicher is known for. Unlike regular batteries, thermal batteries stay dormant until activated by heat, often from a small pyrotechnic charge. This makes them ideal for missiles, where long shelf life and instant reliability are non-negotiable.
“These aren’t the batteries you’d find in your flashlight,” said retired Air Force Colonel John Matthews, who oversaw missile maintenance programs in the 1990s. “They’re engineered to sit idle for years, then deliver power in an instant when the stakes are highest.”
The contract itself is a cost-plus-fixed-fee deal, meaning EaglePicher will be reimbursed for their expenses plus a set profit margin. Valued at just under $20 million, it was awarded through a competitive process, though only one offer came in.
This detail caught the eye of some industry watchers. “It’s unusual to see a single bid in a competition,” noted defense analyst Rebecca Grant, who studies military procurement trends. “It could mean EaglePicher has a unique edge—maybe proprietary tech or decades of experience—that others can’t match.” The Air Force Sustainment Center at Hill Air Force Base in Utah, which oversees Minuteman III upkeep, is managing the contract, signaling a coordinated effort to keep the missile fleet ready.
For Joplin, this deal is more than just a paycheck. The city, with a population of about 50,000, has faced its share of challenges, including a devastating tornado in 2011. Jobs from EaglePicher, a local employer since the 1940s, offer stability.
The company’s facility there will handle everything from design to assembly, keeping the work—and the money—in Missouri. By the time the contract wraps up in 2030, it will have supported dozens of workers over five years, a small but steady boost for the region.
The Minuteman III’s guidance system, powered by these batteries, is a marvel of engineering, but it’s also a relic of a bygone era. The system uses a combination of gyroscopes, accelerometers, and onboard computers to calculate the missile’s position in real-time.
The gyroscopes, often stabilized by spinning masses or laser-based designs, detect changes in orientation. The accelerometers measure shifts in speed and direction. Together, they feed data to a computer that adjusts the missile’s flight path, ensuring it follows a preprogrammed route.
This setup was cutting-edge in the 1970s, but today’s tech has moved on. Still, the Air Force has kept the Minuteman III alive through upgrades, swapping out old parts for modern equivalents where possible. The batteries are one piece of that puzzle, a critical link between past and present.
Why spend nearly $20 million on a missile that’s over 50 years old? The answer lies in strategy and timing. The Minuteman III was meant to retire years ago, but delays in its replacement—the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, or GBSD—have forced the Air Force to extend its life. The GBSD, a next-generation ICBM being developed by Northrop Grumman, promises better accuracy and lower maintenance costs, but it won’t be fully deployed until the 2030s.
Until then, the Minuteman III must stay operational. “It’s a bridge,” said General Thomas Bussiere, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command, in a 2024 briefing. “We’re keeping these missiles viable until the new system takes over. Every component, even the batteries, plays a part in that.”
The decision to stick with the Minuteman III isn’t without debate. Critics argue the U.S. should accelerate the GBSD or rethink its nuclear strategy altogether. “We’re pouring money into a Cold War dinosaur,” said Kingston Reif, a policy expert at the Arms Control Association. “Meanwhile, adversaries like Russia and China are building hypersonic weapons that could outpace our defenses.”
Supporters, though, see the Minuteman III as a proven deterrent. With 400 missiles spread across bases in Montana, Wyoming, and North Dakota, it forces any opponent to think twice. “It’s not flashy, but it works,” Matthews countered. “The batteries might seem minor, but they’re what keeps the system credible.”
From an industry perspective, this contract fits a broader pattern. The Defense Department has ramped up spending on sustainment—maintaining existing weapons—while new programs lag. In 2023 alone, the Air Force allocated over $1.2 billion to Minuteman III upkeep, from silo repairs to software updates. The EaglePicher deal is a sliver of that, but it shows how even small components drive big costs.
We at BulgarianMilitary.com see it as a sign of pragmatism. “The U.S. isn’t ready to let go of the Minuteman III,” we wrote in a recent assessment. “This contract proves they’re doubling down on reliability over revolution, at least for now. It’s less about innovation and more about ensuring nothing breaks down when it matters most.”
The batteries themselves are a study in precision. They must deliver steady power under conditions that would destroy a commercial battery—freezing silo temperatures, intense launch forces, and the vacuum of space. If they’re thermal batteries, as some speculate, they’d use a chemical reaction triggered by heat to generate electricity.
This reaction happens in seconds, providing a burst of energy that lasts just long enough for the missile’s flight. The design is simple but unforgiving; a single flaw could mean failure. EaglePicher’s track record—supplying power for everything from Apollo missions to modern drones—gives the Air Force confidence they can deliver.
Looking ahead, the 2030 deadline looms large. That’s when the contract ends, but also when the GBSD is expected to start taking over. The timing suggests these batteries could be among the last major upgrades for the Minuteman III. By then, the silos might house a new missile, one that doesn’t rely on 1970s tech. For now, though, the focus is on keeping the old guard ready.
Hill Air Force Base, where the contract is managed, will likely test these batteries before they’re installed, ensuring they meet the strict standards of a nuclear weapon.
This deal also raises questions about the defense supply chain. With only one bidder, EaglePicher might hold a near-monopoly on this niche. That’s not necessarily a problem—specialization often breeds excellence—but it could limit options down the road.
“The Pentagon likes competition,” Grant observed. “If EaglePicher’s the only game in town, what happens if they can’t scale up or if costs spike?” It’s a concern for another day, but one that lingers as the Air Force balances old systems with new threats.
In the end, this $19.9 million contract is a small thread in a much larger tapestry. It’s about more than batteries—it’s about a missile that’s stood watch for half a century, a town that keeps it running, and a military betting on the past to secure the future. For the Minuteman III, every part counts, and for now, EaglePicher is making sure the power stays on.
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