Hoeven Holds Planning Meeting in Minot To Advance Nuclear Modernization Programs

07.15.24

Hoeven Holds Planning Meeting in Minot To Advance Nuclear Modernization Programs

Senator Worked to Keep Sentinel on Track During Recent Review, Secured Measures for LRSO Facilities & Security at MAFB

MINOT, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today held a planning meeting with the members of Task Force 21 to advance the modernization of the dual-nuclear missions at Minot Air Force Base (MAFB). This includes his work:

• As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee to:
  • Accelerate the schedule for deploying the Sentinel.
  • Identify additional cost savings to address increased construction costs.
  • Push for concurrent construction of facilities at all three missile bases. Hoeven is already talking with officials at the Department of Defense (DoD) and Northrop Grumman to make the case for beginning construction at each base at the same time, rather than sequentially, to keep the programs on track and reduce costs.
• Pressing DoD leadership to maintain the Sentinel program during the recent Nunn-McCurdy review.
  • Last week, DoD concluded the Sentinel program remains vital to national security and that it will continue modernizing the full intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) fleet.
  • Hoeven worked with key DoD officials while the review process was ongoing to prevent an outcome that would undermine the effectiveness of the U.S. nuclear deterrent.
• Securing critical military construction priorities for Minot in the Senate's annual funding legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2025. This includes measures Hoeven authored to:
  • Help ensure Minot has the facilities needed to operate and maintain the new Long Range Standoff (LRSO) missile, which will be carried on the B-52, as soon as the weapon is ready to enter service.
  • Prioritize security enhancements for Minot's existing Weapons Storage Area.
  • Requiring the Air Force to brief the Appropriations Committee on efforts to assess the condition of all existing Minuteman III silos in order to prepare for future Sentinel construction.

"We need to keep advancing nuclear modernization so we can effectively counter the capabilities being developed by Russia and China. The Minot community is a critical part of this effort, which is why we're engaging in an active planning process with local leaders, while also pressing for concurrent construction at all three bases to keep these programs on track and help reduce costs," said Hoeven. "Further, that's why our efforts during the recent Nunn-McCurdy review were so important, where we worked to ensure DoD reached a conclusion that would enable this essential national security initiative to move forward, while opening the door for us to find cost savings in the Sentinel program, including the potential for constructing facilities at all three missile bases concurrently. At the same time, the full Senate Appropriations Committee just approved our FY2025 funding bill for military construction, which includes provisions I wrote to ensure the Air Force has a plan for investing in Minot's Weapons Storage Area that lines up with the LRSO's development as well as reliable assessments of existing ICBM infrastructure that can help reduce the costs of deploying the Sentinel in the future."

Keeping Sentinel on Track

Last week, Hoeven discussed the results of the Sentinel program review with Under Secretary of Defense Dr. William LaPlante, Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force James Slife, Under Secretary of the Air Force Melissa Dalton and Assistant Secretary of the Air Force Andrew Hunter. The senator:

• Reinforced his support for the conclusion reached by DoD under the Nunn-McCurdy review.
• Stressed the critical role of the ICBM fleet in deterring emerging challenges from adversaries like Russia and China.
• Reiterated the importance of maintaining all of the existing ICBM missiles and silos, and the need to plan for concurrent rather than sequential construction of facilities at the Air Force's three ICBM bases.

This follows Hoeven's efforts with officials such as Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Charles Brown, Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David Allvin, among others. In a letter to Secretary Austin last month, as well as recent Senate committee hearings with Brown, Kendall and Allvin, Hoeven outlined his priorities for the ICBM leg of the triad and made the case for the robust deployment of ICBMs. Prior to this, Hoeven worked to secure full funding in FY2024 for the nation's nuclear modernization programs and is working to secure continued support in FY2025 funding bills. This includes:

• The Sentinel ICBM program.
• Updates to the B-52 bomber and its engine.
• Developing the LRSO carried on the B-52.
• Warheads for the new ICBM and LRSO.
• Continued procurement of the Grey Wolf helicopters to replace the Vietnam-era Huey helicopters that currently provide security for the country's missile silos.

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