Submitted Photo Ground was broken at Minot Air Force Base on Tuesday for the consolidated helicopter and tactical response force operations and maintenance center for the 54th Helicopter Squadron. The facility will house the new MH-139 Grey Wolf helicopters.

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – Personnel from Minot Air Force Base and guests took part in a ground-breaking ceremony Tuesday for the construction of the helicopter and tactical response force operations and maintenance center for the base’s 54th Helicopter Squadron.

The facility, a Military Construction (MILCON) project, will house the new MH-139 grey Wolf helicopters. The new helicopters will replace the Vietnam-era Bell UH-1N Huey helicopters used to protect the missile field.

U.S. Sens. John Hoeven and Kevin Cramer were among speakers at the ground-breaking ceremony.

“Minot Air Force Base is on the front lines of our national defense on a daily basis and is growing ever-more central to our security, as our adversaries grow bolder and attempt to exceed our capabilities,” Hoeven said. “That’s why our nuclear modernization efforts are so critical, including the nearly $140 million helicopter facility we’re breaking ground on today, which will provide essential infrastructure to support the new Grey Wolf helicopters and ensure the security of the missile fields. This is the culmination of eight years of work to secure a replacement for the Huey helicopters, and builds upon our efforts to ensure the continued effectiveness of Minot’s missions, like the new cruise missile, ICBM and B-52 upgrades.”

Cramer said, “Today is an important step for modernization and getting a great aircraft to our great airmen. Minot Air Force Base plays a historic and critical role in the defense of our nation, housing two out of three legs of the nuclear triad. When the world sees the B-52 bomber, the new Sentinel missiles and now the MH-139, it’s a reminder to the world of our lethality. It’s true: only the best come North.”

According to Minot AFB information, the new building will consist of three maintenance hangar bays, six aircraft shelter bays and three hangar bays for aircraft on alert. In addition, it will contain offices, briefing rooms, storage space, aircrew flight equipment storage and four bays to house land vehicles for tactical response.

The building, once fully constructed, will be about 133,000 square feet and will house around 35 personnel on 24-hour multi-day rotations.

In addition to the new building, the project also will construct more than 30,000 square yards of apron and taxiway space.

The original 2019 cost estimate for the project was slightly more than $70 million, but by the time it was finally awarded in 2023 the cost was more than $130 million.

This project will consolidate functions and greatly improve the intercontinental ballistic missile sites’ security response times for the 54th Helicopter Squadron and the Tactical Response Force.