Air Force’s new Sentinel launch silo
Shown is an illustration of the LGM-35A Sentinel launch silo, the Air Force’s newest weapon system known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent. The Air Force determined the LGM-35A Sentinel would provide continuity in strategic deterrence and cost less than extending the life of the current intercontinental ballistic missile fleet, comprised of the aging Minuteman III. The Air Force Civil Engineer Center’s NEPA team partnered with the AFNWC to conduct the environmental impact analysis that led to the decision on the construction phase of the new weapon system, was cleared for takeoff May 19 as Robert Moriarty, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Installations, signed the project’s environmental record of decision. (U.S. Air Force illustration)