08.25.25

Hoeven Organizes Meeting with ICBM Director, Task Force 21 to Help Accelerate Sentinel Deployment

Senator Working to Fully Fund Nuclear Modernization in FY26, Advance Policies to Keep Sentinel, LRSO & B-52 Programs on Track

MINOT, N.D. – Senator John Hoeven today held a roundtable discussion with Maj. Gen. Colin Connor, Director of Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) Modernization, and the members of Task Force 21. Hoeven organized the meeting as part of his efforts to keep the nation’s nuclear modernization efforts on track and ensure the Minot Air Force Base has the facilities it needs to field the new systems as soon as they are fully developed.

The meeting builds on provisions that Hoeven secured in the Senate’s funding legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2026. Specifically, working as a member of the committees that oversee annual defense and military construction funding, Hoeven is working to advance measures to:

  • Provide $2.6 billion for the Sentinel program that, in addition to the $2.5 billion in the One Big Beautiful Bill (OB3), brings total FY2026 Sentinel funding to $5.1 billion.
  • Direct the Air Force to develop a plan, including a construction timeline, for the concurrent construction of Sentinel launch facilities at all three missile bases.
    • Concurrent construction will help accelerate the timeline for deploying Sentinel, while reducing costs.
  • Fully fund development of the Long Range Stand Off (LRSO) missile and B-52 upgrades.
  • Prioritize and fund security enhancements at Minot Air Force Base’s existing Weapons Storage Area, which are needed to support the new LRSO missile.
    • The Air Force expects to operate the new missile 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.”

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