Minot Area Chamber EDC (MACEDC) Task Force 21 (TF21) presented a Sentinel program briefing to nearly 100 attendees that included North Dakota legislators and state leaders at the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck on March 18. The briefing featured an overview of North Dakota’s role in the country’s nuclear deterrence, discussed the program’s status, and highlighted opportunities for the state to prepare for the upcoming project.
Sentinel is the weapon system proposed to replace the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system. It represents the modernization of the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad and would extend its capabilities. On-base construction will focus on construction or modifying facilities and infrastructure as necessary to support Sentinel maintenance, training, storage, testing, and support at Minot Air Force Base. Off-base construction includes the missile alert facilities, renovation of all 150 existing launch facilities in the missile fields in North Dakota, launch centers, utility corridors, communications towers, and more.
“The Sentinel project should lead to large scale changes in the physical and economic landscape of North Dakota,” said Cassidy Hjelmstad, Chair of the newly formed TF21 Sentinel Working Group. “Supporting the construction of new facilities and updating technology over the next decade is pivotal to the project. We look forward to welcoming people to our community – whether temporarily or permanently – to assist with Sentinel completion.”
North Dakota Governor Kelly Armstrong welcomed the event’s attendees and stressed the importance of nuclear deterrence at a local and national level. He praised Minot Air Force Base for the crucial mission that military personnel are upholding daily and spoke about the impact that the Sentinel Program will have on our state before introducing Keynote Speaker Maj. Gen. Colin J. Connor
Maj. Gen. Colin J. Connor is the Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Modernization, Site Activation Task Force, Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana. He is responsible for overseeing and coordinating the activities of the Air Force in support of the deployment of the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM weapon system and the retirement of the LGM-30G Minuteman III ICBM weapon system.? General Connor discussed the importance of modernizing the nuclear triad, and that national policy calls for an essential and predictable land-based nuclear deterrent system - a “ready, available, and responsive force.”
While the specific timing for the Minot missile field is still being discussed, initial construction activities for the required updates on Minot Air Force Base are expected to begin in 2027. Maj. Gen. Connor emphasized that Minot is pivotal during the entirety of the modernization efforts, and shared some of the specifics that will come with construction, transition, and replacement of the current weapons system.
“It’s an honor to have someone as knowledgeable as Maj. Gen. Connor taking the time to attend our event and speak to so many local leaders about how Sentinel is going to affect the people of North Dakota and ultimately change the way our country is seen by our adversaries,” said Pete Hankla, Task Force 21 Chair.” With two legs of the nuclear triad, the world’s eyes are on Minot, and we want to make sure as a community we’re doing everything we can to support our country.”
Task Force 21 will host their annual Nuclear Triad Symposium in Washington, D.C. on September 26. More information will be available TaskForce21.com as it becomes available or contact the Minot Area Chamber EDC by calling 701-852-6000 or emailing minot@minotchamberedc.com.