En esta noticia
The United States Air Force, which is part of the Armed Forces, is considering acquiring land to build up to 120 new silos for Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles, a system designed to replace the old Minuteman III. The project includes possible changes at three military bases in the western part of the country and is part of the modernization of the U.S. nuclear infrastructure.
According to the official proposal, the agency is studying the purchase of land of up to 12 acres, equivalent to almost 5 hectares for each silo site. The facilities will be distributed among Wyoming, Montana, and North Dakota, although the final location and acquisition of properties still depend on the corresponding assessments.
The initiative is part of a review of the Sentinel program, which suffered cost increases and delays due, among other factors, to the complexity of building the necessary infrastructure. The Air Force launched a new environmental impact study to analyze the modifications and plans to publish its final version in the spring of 2028.
Where do they plan to install the 120 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles?
The United States Air Force plans to deploy the new Sentinel missiles, designed to carry nuclear warheads, at three military bases: F. E. Warren in Wyoming; Malmstrom in Montana; and Minot in North Dakota. The program seeks to gradually replace the old Minuteman III missiles with a more modern system, which will include new silos, launch centers and communication systems, according to the U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command.
The supplemental environmental study considers acquiring land to build up to 30 new silos at F. E. Warren and up to 60 at Minot. At Malmstrom, they are evaluating building up to 30 new silos on other land and reusing old military sites for another 60.
Why is the United States Air Force evaluating buying land of up to nearly 5 hectares per silo?
The possible acquisition of land responds to changes in the design and infrastructure of the Sentinel program, where, according to the official notice published in the Federal Register, the Air Force determined that adapting the existing Minuteman III system facilities involved risks related to costs and implementation deadlines.
For this reason, it reformulated the plan to build new silos instead of relying mainly on the reuse of old structures.
When will construction of the new nuclear missile silos begin?
Construction of the new silos still depends on the environmental assessment process and on subsequent Air Force decisions. The agency has launched a new public consultation phase to analyze the possible impacts of the changes introduced in the Sentinel program.
According to the official notice from the Department of the Air Force, the expected schedule is as follows:
- October 2026: start of the 30-day public consultation period on the scope of the study.
- Fall 2027: expected publication of the draft supplemental environmental impact study, which will be open for public comment.
- Spring 2028: expected publication of the final version of the environmental study.
After completing that assessment, the Air Force will be able to move forward with a formal decision on the project and the steps needed to carry out the work. For now, the official schedule does not set a definite date for the start of construction of the new silos.