The Air Force’s top nuclear weapons planner said Wednesday that building hundreds of new missile silos for the LGM-35A Sentinel program could save both time and money, but warned that not all of the new facilities may fit on federal land, Breaking Defense reported. 

Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, the Air Force’s deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, said during a Mitchell Institute forum that the service’s shift toward fresh silos would accelerate deployment of the beleaguered intercontinental ballistic missile program. 

The new approach, he argued, avoids delays tied to converting existing silos while the Minuteman III fleet remains on alert.

Sentinel transition

“In some small cases, we may need to make purchases,” Gebara said, referring to the possibility of acquiring private property for the project. 

“But I believe building all new silos is actually not an extender of time and cost. It’s actually saving time and cost,” he said, according to Breaking Defense.

The Sentinel program is meant to replace the Minuteman III, which has been the land-based leg of the nuclear triad since the 1970s. 

Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota, F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming, and Malmstrom Air Force Base in Montana host the missile fields.

During a public town hall on Tuesday at Minot, Maj. Gen Colin Connor, director of ICBM modernization, said the transition to Sentinel would allow the Air Force to keep some Minuteman IIIs operational longer by salvaging spare parts from retired missiles. 

Connor added that “the first site at FE Warren has been taken down,” though it was not immediately clear whether he was referring to a decommissioned Minuteman silo. The Air Force did not clarify his remarks.

Katie Parks, the service’s deputy ICBM program executive officer, told the town hall that new silos could address shortcomings at some current facilities. 

She cited flooding risks not present decades ago and potential hazards such as nearby wind turbines that could interfere with helicopter operations.

Parks said the Air Force would seek community input on site selection as part of an upcoming supplemental environmental review. 

“You all will know where the wrong places to put them are,” she said. Minot is scheduled to be the last missile base to transition to Sentinel, a process that could extend into the 2040s. Officials said exact timelines and costs remain uncertain as the service restructures the program.

Gebara also updated the Mitchell Institute audience on other elements of the nuclear enterprise. 

He said a second test article of the B-21 Raider stealth bomber is expected to fly before the end of the year, though the milestone will be “event-based.” The aircraft, built by Northrop Grumman, first flew in late 2023.

Gebara said the Air Force’s effort to field a new radar for the B-52 bomber is nearing flight testing at Edwards Air Force Base in California. 

The modernization program, which includes new engines, has faced delays and a cost breach this year.

“I don’t have a specific date for you today, but I believe that is turning a corner,” Gebara said.