A nuclear missile named the Peacekeeper may sound like an oxymoron. But in the deadly serious negotiations with the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War, a strong offense was believed to make the best defense.
The Peacekeeper missile was originally named the MX, shorthand for missile experimental. In 1985, it was the largest intercontinental ballistic missile ever built in the United States. Each MX had 10 individual nuclear warheads.
The headquarters of Peacekeeper missile operations was F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne. While the Cheyenne community was largely supportive of the missile program, there were some protests organized by religious leaders and a few ranchers.
Philip White, a staff writer for the Casper Star Tribune, covered the controversy surrounding the missile installation.
Learn more about Peacekeeper missiles in the Philip White papers at UW’s American Heritage Center.