{"id":13382,"date":"2025-09-05T09:56:54","date_gmt":"2025-09-05T16:56:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/?p=13382"},"modified":"2025-09-05T09:56:54","modified_gmt":"2025-09-05T16:56:54","slug":"first-f-e-warren-minutemen-iii-silo-decommissioned-for-new-sentinel-missiles","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/2025\/09\/05\/first-f-e-warren-minutemen-iii-silo-decommissioned-for-new-sentinel-missiles\/","title":{"rendered":"First F.E. Warren Minutemen III Silo Decommissioned For New Sentinel Missiles"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Interesting background on the massive upgrade process starting, as per treaty only 400 of the 450 missile silos are active at any one time, leaving plenty to be upgraded without taking down active ones. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2025\/09\/04\/first-f-e-warren-minutemen-iii-silo-decommissioned-for-new-sentinel-missiles\/<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n

<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n
The Air Force has confirmed decommissioning of the first F.E. Warren Air Force Base Minutemen III silo to make way for new Sentinel missiles. It\u2019s a huge milestone for the $141 billion nuclear modernization project, which begins in Wyoming.<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

By Ren\u00e9e Jean<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"An
An unarmed Minuteman III missile inside a silo at F.E. Warren Air Force Base on July 9, 2025. The Air Force has announced that the first Minuteman III silo on the base has been decommission to make way for new Sentinel missiles. (Air Force Staff Sgt, Michael A. Richmond, U.S. Department of Defense)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The first operational Minutemen III Silo has been taken offline to make way for a $141 billion upgrade to Sentinel missiles, a huge milestone for the nation\u2019s nuclear modernization project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decommissioned silo is located at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The decommissioning is a key step in the Air Force\u2019s plan to modernize the land-based portion of America\u2019s nuclear arsenal, the so-called nuclear triad that also includes air and sea. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of the modernization project, all MIII missiles will be replaced with a modernized missile, the LGM-35A Sentinel, which is being led by prime contractor Northrop Grumman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The occasion is a significant milestone as the Sentinel era begins, according to an Air Force Global Strike spokesman.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c(This) is the first operational MIII silo to be taken offline as part of the transition to Sentinel, (and is) a significant step forward in the ICBM modernization effort,\u201d the spokesman told Cowboy State Daily in an email Thursday. \u201cDuring the transition process, there will be no degradation of the land-based leg of the nuclear triad.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“The administrative decertification of LF 5E10 has no impact to the number of ICBMs that can be on alert.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The military will continue to meet all ICBM alert requirements for U.S. Strategic Command and the president throughout construction of the Sentinel program, the spokesperson added, meaning that 400 missiles will remain perpetually at the ready for launch as the $140.9 billion project proceeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exact timeframe when the MIII silo was taken offline isn\u2019t publicly available, but the decertification process involved removing critical equipment from the launch facility, as well as isolating the site from the overall network and disposing of some \u201cnon-critical equipment,\u201d according to the Air Force Global Strike\u2019s statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tucker Fagan, who is a former commander of F.E. Warren Air Force Base, told Cowboy State Daily that it\u2019s likely the missile silo taken offline was one that didn\u2019t contain a missile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In all, America has 450 missile silos but, as per treaties, there are only 400 missiles active and ready to go at any one time. That means 50 missile silos are empty at any given time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019s no reason why you\u2019d go after an active silo right now and take it down when you\u2019ve a bunch of other ones that, because of treaty reasons, don\u2019t have weapons,\u201d Fagan said. \u201cAnd probably what they\u2019re doing is working with the contractor, going like, \u2018OK, what are the things we\u2019re going to run into here? Let\u2019s actually work with this guy to see what we need to be doing.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"A
A missile combat crew simulates the launch of a Minuteman III missile at F.E. Warrant Air Force Base inWyoming. (NB\/ROD via Alamy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Time For The Nitty-Gritty Details<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Table topping the construction is exactly what\u2019s going on, said Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Dale Steenbergen. He has been sitting in on regular conference calls with Sentinel\u2019s contractors and other military personnel involved.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The aim of the call is to keep affected communities in the loop as the Sentinel work proceeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis is just kind of the next natural step in the evolution of Sentinel,\u201d Steenbergen told Cowboy State Daily. \u201cThey have to start getting down to a site, and it\u2019s really hard to do on paper to figure out how you\u2019re going to rebuild a site without actually looking at what you\u2019re dealing with.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While some decisions about launch silos have already been made, now it\u2019s time to get into nitty-gritty details.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe still don\u2019t know what some of this looks like,\u201d Steenbergen said. \u201cThinking construction wise, is it going to be a modular kind of system where we bring it in and slide it in a hole or is it going to be stick built, and how are we going to do that?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The silo will help inform best practices for the rest of the process and help derisk the construction processes going forward. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt\u2019s one thing to draw a picture of a house and contemplate building it,\u201d Steenbergen said. \u201cIt\u2019s another to go out to the actual site where it\u2019s going to be built and actually realize the challenges that might be in a place where nothing has been done in 75 years.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Problem Silos<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Derisking is a common tactic for the military to take, Fagan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese guys are very risk averse,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, they\u2019re going to put a lot of time and effort in to make sure they understand it and that they know what it is.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking a silo down will add to long-term analysis for the overall approach to upgrading other launch facilities, Fagan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCan we use them all? Can we use most of them? Stuff like that,\u201d he said. \u201cAll that\u2019s going to be taken into account. And then they\u2019ll have other guys who are working on the missiles, people working on what\u2019s called the ground equipment. This is going to be a very long-term process.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The effort could also contribute to a better understanding of what\u2019s going on at problem silos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSome of the other wings, like up in Grand Forks (North Dakota), have faced a lot of water intrusion at missile sites up there,\u201d Fagan said. \u201cThat\u2019s really why that was one of the first ones to go after the treaty, because … there\u2019s a lot of water intrusion up there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Taking the Minuteman III silo down is overall a good sign for the future of the Sentinel program, Fagan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The replacement of MIII missiles with the new LGM-35A Sentinel is one of the largest modernization efforts ever undertaken for the nation\u2019s nuclear arsenal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The program has faced delays and steep cost increases<\/u><\/a>, which has caused some to raise questions about the program\u2019s feasibility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 81% cost overrun triggered a congressional review of the budget. Ultimately it was determined that the project should proceed<\/u><\/a>, but nationally, some critics have continued to raise objections.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThese are good signs that (Sentinel) is not moribund,\u201d Fagan said. \u201cTaking one (silo) down, I can see where they\u2019re going. It\u2019s, \u2018Hey, we want to get in there and do measurements on absolutely everything.’\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"At
At Minuteman Missile Silo Alpha-7 technicians Staff Sgts. Jason Bruns, from left, Monte Reeder and Senior Airman Eric LaBorne tighten the bolts on the upper stage of a Minuteman III missile at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. (NB\/ROD via Alamy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Northrop Grumman Already In Cheyenne<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Seeing that the project is not idle is the exciting part to Steenbergen as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s a huge multibillion-dollar project that Steebergen expects to inject around $90 billion into the Wyoming economy, according to the figures he has seen.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

F.E. Warren employs around 3,500 people directly, but that spins out to a total of employment of around 15,000 people, he added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Employment numbers are expected to grow as work on the Sentinel progresses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen those numbers yet of what they expect that to be,\u201d Steenbergen said. \u201cBut we know we\u2019re going to have more security forces, because they\u2019re going to have more to do.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And you have the Site Activation Task Force (SATF), which, if I just take what those kind of end up being in other places, we could expect 300 people just from the folks who are working on the military site to do the project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That doesn\u2019t include personnel from Northrop Grumman or other heavy hitters in the missile defense industry who will be involved in the project. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNorthrop does have a facility in Cheyenne,\u201d Steenbergen said. “They built it within the last five years and, since then, we\u2019ve been talking with other companies who are starting to do those same kinds of things.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They\u2019re either looking for a facility and they\u2019re doing workforce development work in Wyoming. So, there\u2019s a lot going on with this project.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Other Big Companies Eyeing Cheyenne Facilities<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Steenbergen couldn\u2019t identify any of the companies that are talking with Cheyenne officials yet, but said some are heavy hitters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Steenbergen expects some will ultimately locate either field offices or other facilities in the region as Sentinel construction proceeds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Those companies won\u2019t be temporary flashes-in-the-pan, either. They are likely to stick around for a long time once Sentinel is up and running, Steenbergen believes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf we use the last missile build as a guide for that, those companies were here for many years after the initial kind of construction push happened,\u201d he said. \u201cIf we drive down \u2014 and maybe it\u2019s gone now \u2014 but for years and years you could drive down the interstate in Cheyenne and you could see it in a few other places like Pine Bluffs, where companies like Boeing \u2026 still had their name painted on the side of a building.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Part of the reason for the longevity, Steenbergen said, comes down to working out all the details of a complex process, making sure everything is running 100% according to plan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt takes a while to work out all the processes and things that you thought would work a certain way, and communications and security and everything else that they work on,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd these missiles have constant maintenance, so we do expect this to be a big economic boom for our community, and we\u2019re already starting to see it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Interesting background on the massive upgrade process starting, as per treaty only 400 of the 450 missile silos are active at any one time, leaving plenty to be upgraded without taking down active ones. https:\/\/cowboystatedaily.com\/2025\/09\/04\/first-f-e-warren-minutemen-iii-silo-decommissioned-for-new-sentinel-missiles\/ The Air Force has confirmed decommissioning of the first F.E. Warren Air Force Base Minutemen III silo to make way […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13382","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-wyoming"],"blocksy_meta":[],"featured_image_src":null,"author_info":{"display_name":"Jason","author_link":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/author\/jturning\/"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13382","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13382"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13382\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13383,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13382\/revisions\/13383"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13382"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13382"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jasonsblog.ddns.net\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13382"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}