This space is located below the angled missile loading structure aft of the actual missile launcher. Directly below the missile assembly area were 3 rotating rings of missiles in the missile magazine. Each ring held 20 rounds. Sterett normally carried two inert training missiles (TSAM) and one inert ASROC trainer, leaving a live round capacity of 57 rounds of any combination necessary. Missiles were lifted off the port and starboard rings up into the missile assembly area and placed on a rail. The middle, third ring, lays below the other two rings along the centerline. To access a round from the 3rd ring required that it to be transferred to one of the top two rings first before it could be brought up to the assemble area. The original configuration of the magazine had provisions for a separate warhead storage area, which required additional assembly of the missiles. Later in life, Terrier missiles arrived with the warheads pre-mated to the rounds. After being raised up from the magazine and placed on the overhead rails, the missiles were fitted with wings and fins. Upon completion of assembly and checkout, the rails were then angled up to mate with the rail sections that would carry the missiles up and out onto the launcher. There was also an alternative provision for moving the missiles into a maintenance area just forward of the missile assembly space. Located just to either side of the missile house on the weather deck are hatches used to strike down missiles and their components during on-loading of missiles. the missiles would be lowered down into the checkout area and upon testing and assembly, would be traversed back and then lowered down into the missile magazines. At one time, Sterett was a nuclear capable ship and could have been authorized to carry nuclear tipped Terrier missiles and ASROC (Anti-Submarine Rocket) with either a conventional Honeywell acoustic homing Mk 46 torpedo or a MK 13 nuclear depth charge. This area of the ship was the subject of intensive security and few crewmembers had access to these spaces.
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