The first flight of the Titan II was in March 1962 and the missile, now designated LGM-25C, reached initial operating capability in October 1963. The Titan II contained one W-53 nuclear warhead in a Mark 6 re-entry vehicle with a range of 8,700 nautical miles (10,000 mi; 16,100 km).

The LGM-25C ballistic missile (Titan IIc) consisted of a two-stage, liquid rocket-engine-powered vehicle and a reentry vehicle. The first stage, Stage I, is the booster, Stage II is the sustainer.

Apr 23, 2024 · The LGM-25C Titan II was the last liquid-fueled intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) built by the United States. It was in service between 1963-1987 and could range 15,000 km.

Mar 12, 2019 · The massive, 103-foot long, 170-ton LGM-25C Titan II slowly begins to slide upward through the now-opened blast door at the top of the silo as frantic, billowing plumes of boiling steam squirt...

New "hypergolic" liquid fuels made Titan II's quick launches possible. Hypergolic fuels ignite on contact with one another, eliminating the need for an ignition system, and they can be stored at room temperature inside the missile. Partly as a result of using these new propellants, the SM-68B had fewer parts and a simpler design than the SM-68A.

The Titan II was by far the most powerful nuclear armed missile ever deployed by the United States, with a deployment level of 54 LGM-25C missiles between 1964 and the beginning of its retirement in 1984.

In November 1959, the Ministry of Defense instructed the Air Force to begin a program to develop a new ICBM, called "Titan-2" (system SM-68B, and since 1962 - LGM-25C). In turn, the Air Force designated the main contractors involved in the new project.

In November 1959 the Department of Defense (DoD) authorized the development of the new Titan II (SM-68B/LGM-25C) and at the same time directed that the Titan I program be discontinued after six squadrons. As planned, Titan II would be a larger, more advanced missile than its predecessor.

The LGM-25C Titan II was a second-generation intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) developed by the United States during the Cold War. Designed as an improvement over the earlier Titan I, the Titan II was the first ICBM capable of being launched from an underground silo, significantly enhancing its survivability against a first-strike attack.

Titan II - Originally designated the SM-68B, WS-107B, later designated the LGM-25C. Development approved in October 1959, a large, two stage hypergolic fueled missile. Hypergolic fuels are stored in the missile and ignite on contact, providing immediate response.