According to a press release from the office of U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Minot Air Force Base is slated to receive a $230 million nuclear modernization facelift under President Donald Trump’s proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2027 budget, zeroing in on support for the next generation of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) operations. Cramer announced plans to fund two cornerstone projects tied to the LGM-35A Sentinel program, the replacement for the aging Minuteman III system. Minot, the nation’s only base supporting two legs of the nuclear triad, is slated to receive $124 million for a new Sentinel maintenance complex and $108 million for a state-of-the-art operations center. The term “nuclear triad” refers to a military-force structure consisting of land-launched nuclear missiles, nuclear-missile-armed submarines, and strategic aircraft with nuclear bombs and missiles. Cramer’s support for the Sentinel program investments in Minot extends the base’s central role in U.S. strategic deterrence.
“Our airmen at Minot operate in some of the toughest conditions anywhere and they still show up every day to keep America’s nuclear deterrent strong,” said Cramer. “Investments in the Sentinel program are about protecting the country and backing the people undertaking the mission. Getting these projects into the budget is a big step toward safer, long-term solutions on the ground, and I’m excited to see the impact at Minot.”
According to the press release, the executive budget’s proposals align with a broader push by the Trump administration to accelerate nuclear modernization, with major investments aimed at enhancing deterrence across air, land, and sea. Cramer, chair of the Senate Armed Services (SASC) Airland Subcommittee, has prioritized strengthening and modernizing North Dakota’s defense capabilities and has brought senior defense officials to Minot Air Force Base to observe its mission up close.
A new consolidated vehicle maintenance complex would replace infrastructure dating back to the Eisenhower era by phasing out five outdated facilities built in the late 1950s and early 1960s—structures not designed for today’s fleet of more than 1,100 oversized vehicles. Right now, airmen are often forced to repair equipment outdoors in difficult conditions, especially in the winter months when temperatures drop below zero. The new building shifts resources away from costly patchwork solutions and toward long-term capability.
The budget also advances a new Security Forces Operations Center for the 91st Missile Wing, consolidating training, storage, and deployment functions under one roof. The facility will support everything from convoy security to missile site protection for over 1,000 Air Force Defenders.
After more than 50 years of service, the Minuteman III system, with roughly 400 missiles deployed across three bases, is set to be replaced by the LGM-35A Sentinel program. The transition is expected to begin in 2030, modernizing the land-based leg of the nuclear triad.
Meanwhile, efforts to preserve the legacy of the current system are also underway. Cramer worked with the U.S. Air Force and Northrop Grumman to secure a decommissioned Minuteman III missile for public display. The missile is now headed to the North Dakota Heritage Center & State Museum, where it will anchor a new military gallery set to open in 2027 and offer the public an up-close look at the weapon system.
According to the press release, Cramer’s work on behalf of the base has taken him across the country, including a recent visit to Hill Air Force Base in Utah, which supports the Minuteman program and is the proving ground for Sentinel. Cramer is the first North Dakotan to serve on SASC and is co-chair of the Senate Defense Modernization Caucus
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