Cheyenne Chamber gets updates on $141 billion Sentinel missile project

CHEYENNE — As the $141 billion Sentinel missile program moves forward despite several delays and massive price increases, military officials gave Cheyenne’s business community an update on the project Friday.

Steve Kravitsky, director of Sentinel Site Activation Task Force Detachment 10, spoke at a Greater Cheyenne Chamber of Commerce Military Affairs Committee luncheon Friday to detail the complexity of transitioning from the aging Minuteman III system to the new Sentinel missiles.

In 2021, the U.S. Air Force reported to Congress that Minuteman III would reach its end of service life in 2036. 

Following continued delays to Sentinel, the Minuteman III Program Office found that the operation of Minuteman III until 2050 is feasible, though risky, according to a report from the Government Accountability Office.

The program has faced significant scrutiny following an 81% cost overrun that triggered a Nunn-McCurdy breach in 2024, where the program was federally reviewed and deemed suitable to continue due to national security. 

Kravitsky emphasized that the modernization of the nation’s land-based intercontinental ballistic missile is crucial for defending the country.

ICBM MODERNIZATION

Kravitsky opened his presentation by addressing the “why” behind the project, noting that every presidential administration since 1959 has necessitated a nuclear triad. He explained that land-based ICBMs provide a responsive force that complicates an adversary’s decision-making.

“It’s an old weapon system,” Kravitsky said of the Minuteman III missiles. “... In 1985, 30 years ago, I stepped foot on my first launch facility. That site was over 20 years old, and that Minuteman III there was already 10 years old. Let that sink in.”

He noted that while components like guidance systems have been updated over the decades, the physical silos where the missiles are stored have remained largely unchanged since the early 1960s.

“The facilities are the same. Those silos are on the same plot of earth as they were in 1961, ‘62, ‘63 when we started putting them in the ground,” he said.

The role of the SATAF

Kravitsky’s primary focus was to explain what the SATAF is: a concept initiated by Gen. Curtis LeMay in the 1960s to manage the logistical hurdles of managing missile fields. The SATAF acts as a team of experts from various agencies with a goal of ensuring a smooth transition from legacy systems to new missions.

However, Kravitsky pointed out that the current mission is significantly more difficult than the original Cold War deployment. Unlike the 1960s, the Air Force must now deactivate an existing weapon system while simultaneously bringing a new one online without gaps in deterrence.

“This is way more difficult than putting holes in the ground where you had nothing before,” Kravitsky said.

New silos

The Sentinel project involves 2,000 miles of new fiber-optic cables to replace the legacy copper wiring used by Minuteman III, which will require digging up wire systems that web across the tristate area of Colorado, Nebraska and Wyoming.

While the original intent was to save money by reusing the existing silos from the 1960s, more recent analyses found this will prove difficult, so the construction will also likely include the build-out of new silos, though it is currently undetermined where those will be.

“Right now, we’re looking at the construction of brand new silos. ... We’re no longer constrained to the footprint we had. We’re looking at potential to move sites around for operational purposes,” Kravitsky said, adding that this allows sites to move away from potential water intrusive areas or places with security concerns.

Community and landowner engagement

Representatives from towns in western Nebraska were also at the meeting Friday, as Sentinel will impact landowners and towns throughout the region. The Air Force plans to lease 100-footwide corridors on private property to install the new fiber lines, with digging projected to begin in 2027.

Kravitsky urged attendees to help spread the word to neighbors and landowners about how to communicate with the Air Force and said he hopes to continue to have “kitchen table” conversations with local landowners going forward.

When asked about how the new silos could impact proposed wind energy developments in eastern Wyoming, Kravitsky said his team will continue to work with communities and landowners if there are any encroachment issues going forward.

While the project has faced delays, with the original F.E. Warren Air Force Base completion date pushed back from 2029 to 2033, Kravitsky warned that this is only the “easy phase” of the project. He said the current building of base facilities will soon give way to the more intense logistics of field construction.

Kravitsky also provided updates about ongoing construction at F.E. Warren Air Force Base. Key projects currently underway include the following:

• The Wing Command Center: A large facility located near the base commissary, currently estimated to be nearly 80% complete.
• Missile Handling Complex: A facility designed for the storage and processing of Sentinel rocket stages.
• SATAF Facility: A specialized modular building where the transition team will operate.

This story was published on Dec. 23, 2025.