Hoeven Meets With General Bussiere to Accelerate Sentinel ICBM Program, Ensure Minot has Upgrades Needed to Operate New Cruise Missile

Hoeven Meets With General Bussiere to Accelerate Sentinel ICBM Program, Ensure Minot has Upgrades Needed to Operate New Cruise Missile

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MINOT, N.D. - Senator John Hoeven today met with Gen. Thomas Bussiere, Commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command, at Minot Air Force Base as part of his efforts to keep the base's nuclear modernizations on track. Hoeven stressed the need to ensure Minot has the facilities necessary to house and operate the new weapon systems, including the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and the Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) missile, as soon as they are fully developed. Accordingly, Hoeven urged Bussiere to work with him on:

• Concurrently constructing facilities at all three missile bases to accelerate the Sentinel program and reduce costs.
  • This follows Hoeven's efforts pressing the Department of Defense (DoD) to maintain the full ICBM fleet during the recent Nunn-McCurdy review.
• Investing in upgrades to the base's Weapons Storage Area and mission planning facilities, which are needed to support the new LRSO cruise missile.
  • The Air Force expects to operate the new missile in the early 2030s.

"There are real, concrete steps we can take to accelerate our nuclear modernization programs, reduce the costs of the Sentinel program and ensure Minot is ready to field these missions as soon as the weapons systems are ready to deploy. Doing so is vital in ensuring our nation can continue to effectively deter the aggressions of our adversaries," said Hoeven "Today's meeting with General Bussiere is making sure key officials are on the same page and working with us on building the new missile facilities at the three ICBM bases and getting a plan in place to upgrade Minot's facilities for the new cruise missile. We had a productive discussion, and I will continue working to move the ball forward on these important priorities."

As a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, Hoeven has been working to:

• Accelerate the schedule for deploying the Sentinel by:
  • Identifying additional cost savings to address increased construction costs.
  • Pushing for concurrent construction of facilities at all three missile bases with officials at the DoD and Northrop Grumman.
• Secure the Air Force's commitment to budget and begin work on facilities for the LRSO carried on the B-52.
  • Hoeven authored a provision in the Senate's Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Military Construction bill to help ensure Minot has the facilities needed to operate and maintain the new LRSO missile, which will be carried on the B-52, as soon as the weapon is ready to enter service.
  • The senator will continue working as the appropriations process proceeds in the 119th Congress to ensure the upgrades for Minot's facilities move forward.

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