Minuteman III ICBM to Be Exhibited at North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum

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GRAND FORKS, N.D. - The North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum in Bismarck will soon be displaying a powerful tribute to the state's enduring role in America's nuclear deterrence. U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) announced today he has secured a decommissioned Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile, which will be a prominent addition to the museum's new Military Gallery, now under construction and scheduled for completion in late 2027.

The Minuteman III, one of the most recognizable symbols of the nation's strategic nuclear arsenal, strengthens the museum's mission to tell the story of North Dakota's contributions to national defense through immersive exhibits, artifacts, and interactive displays.

As the first North Dakotan to serve on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), Cramer worked with the U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman to secure the missile for public display, offering visitors a rare, up-close look at a cornerstone of America's defense infrastructure.

First deployed in the 1960s, the Minuteman III has undergone nearly six decades of continuous service and modernization. Approximately 400 Minuteman III missiles remain operational across three U.S. bases, including Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. As chair of the SASC Airland Subcommittee and co-chair of the Senate Defense Modernization Caucus, Cramer has championed Minuteman III's next generation replacement, the LGM-35A Sentinel, visiting Hill Air Force Base in Utah which supports the Minuteman program and is the proving ground for Sentinel. The Sentinel program is slated to begin replacing the Minuteman III fleet in 2030, modernizing the nation's land-based nuclear deterrent.

"Recognizing and remembering those who have served our nation are among the most important and solemn roles of the State Historical Society of North Dakota," said Bill Peterson, State Historical Society director.

North Dakota has long played a central role in the nation's nuclear enterprise. During the Cold War, the state was home to one of the largest concentrations of nuclear weapons in the world. Today, Minot Air Force Base remains the only installation in the United States to support two legs of the nuclear triad, with the 91st Missile Wing overseeing one-third of the nation's Minuteman III ICBMs alongside the 5th Bomb Wing's B-52 Stratofortress bombers.

Grand Forks Air Force Base also served as a cornerstone of national security throughout the Cold War. Home to the 321st Strategic Missile Wing, the base oversaw a vast network of 150 Minuteman missile silos and 15 launch control centers strategically positioned across the region.

Cramer is a consistent voice for strengthening and modernizing North Dakota's defense capabilities. His leadership has brought senior defense officials to Minot Air Force Base to observe its mission firsthand, reinforcing its critical role in safeguarding national security.