Air Force eyes reactivation of dormant Montana missile field as Sentinel project grows in scope

The Air Force is exploring the reactivation of a north-central Montana nuclear missile field, roughly the size of Rhode Island, as part of the Department of Defense’s Sentinel project to replace the land-based arsenal of intercontinental ballistic missiles, or ICBMs. The area under consideration includes 50 missile silos that make up the 564th Missile Squadron, which spans the area between Dutton and Shelby and was officially deactivated in 2008. The proposed reactivation of the 564th has recently been included in a supplemental environmental impact statement being prepared by the Air Force. The proposal would be yet another expansion of the $140 billion Sentinel project, which has already seen delays and a pivot toward digging new silos after initially planning to use the original ones. A government review was ordered in 2024 after project costs grew by 81%. The U.S.

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