A Missile Transporter Erector built in cooperation with the GMC and Cessna Corporations was commissioned in 1981 at a cost of $1.3 million. It was used to transport, remove, and emplace Minuteman Intercontinental Ballistic Missile downstages at 150 unmanned launch facilities encompassing 7200 square miles throughout eastern North Dakota. The vehicle was a mainstay of missile handling teams until 1989, when it was replaced by a state of the art model. Its specifications were length 65 feet, height 13.5 feet, erect height 65 feet, empty weight 42,720 pounds, loaded weight 24,945 pounds, a V12 GM 702 CID engine, a GM 15 speed manual transmission, a hoist cable length of 1 mile, and a missile transport speed of 40 mph.