Submitted Photo Lt. Col. Khary Davis, commander of the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron at Minot Air Force Base, gives an update on current and future base projects to members of the Minot Area Chamber EDC’s Military Affairs Committee April 2. Projects include $5 billion in construction in the next decade. Minot Area Chamber EDC photo.

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See Progress in the Saturday-Sunday, April 25-26, edition of The Minot Daily News.

MINOT AIR FORCE BASE – During the next 10 years $5 billion in major construction projects will be done at Minot Air Force Base and in the Minot missile field for multiple beddowns.

Lt. Col. Khary Davis, commander of the 5th Civil Engineer Squadron at Minot AFB, presented an update on current and future base projects to members of the Minot Area Chamber EDC during a meeting at Minot AFB April 2.

Minot AFB is undergoing major modernization to host the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) and the AGM-181 Long-Range Standoff (LRSO) cruise missile, solidifying its role in the U.S. nuclear triad. The Sentinel program, replacing Minuteman III, involves extensive construction starting around 2027, while upgrades support the new LRSO for B-52 bombers.The Long-Range Standoff cruise missile for the B-52 bombers will involve five large renovations from fiscal year 2026-2033, and more than $150 million prepared for construction, according to the construction update.

The Sentinel ICBM project will involve multiple large construction projects on Minot AFB and in the Minot missile field, the latter including several counties. The timeline for the Sentinel project is fiscal year 2026-fiscal year 2040 and more than $2 billion prepared for construction.

The large projects will require hiring 71 technical experts as well as more, according to officials.

The current construction at Minot AFB has more than 400 projects, focusing on roofing, heating, ventilation and air conditioning, paving and facility renovations. The timeline is continuous and more than $900 million prepared for construction.

The 5th Civil Engineer Squadron has 493 funded positions, including 350 military members and 143 civilians.

The squadron includes operations, explosive ordnance disposal, readiness and emergency management, installation management, missile engineering, fire emergency services and engineering.

Minot AFB is the only dual wing nuclear-capable base in the Department of the Air Force. The 5th Bomb Wing has B-52 bombers and the 91st Missile Wing oversees, controls and maintains Minuteman III ICBMs in the Minot missile field.

The base includes numerous facilities and also 1,121 dormitory rooms and 1,440 privatized homes on base.

The squadron’s work includes snow removal at the base. In 2010-2011, the base had record snowfall of 76.5 inches. The 2025-2026 season, to date, has had 20 inches of snow. The average winter temperature is 31 degrees Fahrenheit ambient and 4 degrees Fahrenheit wind chill.

During the February Military Affairs Committee meeting, Maj. Stefan Choquette, the 5th Bomb Wing comptroller and commander of the 5th Comptroller Squadron, presented the base’s fiscal year economic impact report published in the Feb. 6 edition of The Minot Daily News.

Choquette said, “Across a dispersed missile complex spanning roughly 8,500 square miles, the installation owns or controls 24,541 acres to launch both the B-52 Stratofortress and the Minuteman III ICBM for the strategic defense of the nation. All of this land requires upkeep and clearing to ensure this mission executes flawlessly.

“The installation also has a vast portfolio of facilities each with their own aging infrastructure which requires repair and upkeep,” he said.

At more than 11,000 people, Choquette said, Minot AFB is considered a large Air Force installation.

The total economic impact of Minot AFB was $956.7 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, 2025.

“That impact sustains jobs, supports families and underwrites long-term regional growth,” Choquette said.