Peace Garden News

Senator John Hoeven convened a roundtable in Minot, North Dakota, with Maj. Gen. Colin Connor, Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Modernization, and members of Task Force 21. The meeting focused on efforts to keep the nation’s nuclear modernization projects on schedule and ensure that Minot Air Force Base is prepared for the deployment of new missile systems once they are developed.

Hoeven’s actions follow provisions he secured in the Senate’s Fiscal Year 2026 funding legislation. As a member of committees responsible for defense and military construction appropriations, Hoeven is supporting several initiatives. These include providing $2.6 billion for the Sentinel program, which—when combined with $2.5 billion from the One Big Beautiful Bill (OB3)—brings total funding for FY2026 to $5.1 billion.

The legislation also directs the Air Force to create a plan and timeline for constructing Sentinel launch facilities at all three ICBM bases at the same time. This approach aims to speed up deployment and reduce costs associated with building these facilities.

Additional measures in the legislation fully fund development of the Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) missile and upgrades to B-52 aircraft. There is also an emphasis on security improvements at Minot Air Force Base’s Weapons Storage Area to support operations involving the LRSO missile, which is expected to be operational in the early 2030s.

“We’re working across the DoD to keep our nuclear modernization efforts moving forward, and today’s meeting with MG Connor is an important step in that process,” said Hoeven “We appreciate him coming to Minot to meet directly with our community leaders on accelerating the Sentinel program. Through my role on the Senate Defense and Military Construction Appropriations committees, I’m working to give him the funding and tools he needs to accomplish this critical task, including legislation that directs the Air Force to develop a plan for concurrently constructing missile launch facilities at all three ICBM bases. That’s essential to move up Sentinel’s timeline and reduce construction costs. At the same time, we’re advancing measures to ensure Minot is ready to bring these new weapons systems online as soon as possible.”