Submitted Photo U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Colin Connor, director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Modernization, Site Activation Task Force, gives insights at the Sentinel program town hall in Minot, Tuesday, Aug. 26.

CHEYENNE, Wyo. – The first Minuteman III silo to be taken offline in preparation for the transition to the new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile system occurred early this month.

The silo was taken offline as a result of the administrative decertification of F.E. Warren Air Force Base’s Launch Facility (LF) 5E10.

The three intercontinental ballistic missile bases – Minot AFB, F.E. Warren AFB in Wyoming and Malmstrom AFB in Montana – scheduled to receive the new LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM weapon system.

During a town hall meeting held in Minot Tuesday, Aug. 26, Maj. Gen. Colin Connor, director of ICBM Modernization, Site Activation Task Force, at Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, said the new equipment cost will be expensive upfront but inexpensive to maintain in comparison, according to a story in the Wednesday, Aug. 27, edition of The Minot Daily News. He compared the need to modernize the missile fields to the existing 60-year-old equipment to dial-up internet and 35-year-old vehicles.

Connor was commander of the 91st Missile Wing at Minot AFB from June 2016-August 2018.

The new Sentinel missile system is a significant step forward in the intercontinental ballistic missile modernization effort, according to the Air Force Global Strike Command spokesperson.

According to the spokesperson, during the transition process, there will be no degradation of the land-based leg of the nuclear triad. The administrative decertification of LF 5E10 has no impact to the number of ICBMs that can be on alert in accordance with national policy and Air Force Global Strike Command continues to meet ICBM alert requirements providing the same level of readiness and reliability to U.S. Strategic Command and the President. The decertification does not pose any threat to our ability to respond decisively if called upon.

While the U.S. Air Force has modernized its ICBM force in the past, the Sentinel ICBM program is one of the largest modernization efforts ever undertaken by the U.S government, similar in scale to President Eisenhower’s interstate program, according to the spokesperson.

“Air Force Global Strike Command continues to move forward to enhance our command and control, improve security, integrate new technologies, and ultimately, ensure a weapon system that can respond to an increasingly complex world,” the spokesperson said.

The Sentinel modernization program continues to move forward, according to the spokesperson. All Site Activation Task Force units at each missile wing, including test and depot units, have been stood up to continue to manage the onboarding of this vital program and new missile that serves as the foundation of our nation’s defense.

Today, Air Force Global Strike Command maintains up to 400 Minuteman III ICBMs on alert 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year — ensuring full compliance with both New START Treaty limitations and U.S. Strategic Command (USSTRATCOM) operational requirements.

“While we do not currently deploy multiple independently targetable reentry vehicles (MIRVs) on our ICBMs, we retain the capability and continue to train and test for MIRV employment as required,” the spokesperson said.