The Air Force is gearing up to modernize its 450 silos housing Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles to accommodate its replacement, now called Sentinel — a “major undertaking” that the service hopes can begin in the mid- to late-2020s, according to one of the Air Force’s top nuclear program officers.

The scale of the silo conversion effort is something the Air Force nuclear complex hasn’t seen in “over 50 or 60 years,” Lt. Gen. James Dawkins, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration, said Tuesday.

WY We Care

Starting in 2011, the Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce began to advocate for an enhanced and updated Strategic Deterrence triad that would protect our nation and the lives of our fellow Americans. A $13.3 billion contract is now in place to the modernization of our missile system and will bring additional economic development and growth to our community.

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