Twentieth Air Force achieved a significant milestone with the successful completion of Olympic Step 2024, which marked the first-ever Numbered Air Force-wide Remote Code Change. This year's operation saw missile combat crew members executing secure transmissions of keys and codes directly from the Launch Control Center, eliminating the need for physical installations by maintenance teams at each launch facility.
"This achievement with Olympic Step reflects over two decades of dedicated efforts to modernize and enhance the security our ICBM force," said Maj. Gen. Stacy Jo Huser, Twentieth Air Force commander. "As we look to the future, we remain steadfast in our mission to ensure the highest standards of reliability and safety for our strategic assets."
Olympic Step, conducted annually across the Twentieth Air Force's nine missile squadrons, plays a crucial role in maintaining the integrity of National Security Agency-provided launch, enable, and encryption materials essential for the Minuteman III weapon system.
The successful integration of RCC capabilities signifies the culmination of the ICBM cryptographic upgrade (ICU II) program, which began in 2004 as part of the Northrop Grumman Prime Integration Contract, valued at over $6.5 billion.
"With the full-operational fielding of ICU II, we are not only enhancing the security of our ICBM systems but also significantly reducing the physical access vulnerabilities associated with traditional code change methods," said Capt. James Hulett, ICBM codes and current ops. chief. "This method saves 75 days of open site time annually and highlights the integral role played by our wings' codes shops."
This upgrade required a huge, sustained effort across Twentieth Air Force wings, as well as a large amount of coding, updates to processes and procedures and coordination with maintenance teams and crew members.
"The implementation of Remote Code Change represents a major leap forward in our operational capabilities," Hulett said. "By the year 2030, the RCC is estimated to save over 900,000 man-hours and more than 1.4 million road miles."
As a result of the new RCC process, Twentieth Air Force has saved approximately 70,000 man-hours over four months by eliminating the need for physical code changes at 450 LFs annually. This advancement has reduced open site time by 1,800 hours and cut down code transit times by 360 hours each year.
