WASHINGTON (AFNS) -- Acting Secretary of the Air Force John Roth selected Vandenberg Air Force Base, California, as the preferred location for the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, a new intercontinental ballistic missile, Formal Training Unit.
The FTU for the current ICBM is located at Vandenberg AFB.
The GBSD is expected to replace all operational Minuteman III missiles by 2036 and is being designed to maximize the use of existing infrastructure.
“The Minuteman III weapon system has been a bedrock of U.S. national security for more than five decades, but if one looks ahead to the next 50 years, the question of investing in nuclear modernization is as relevant as ever,” said Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown, Jr. “We are fully committed to the GBSD Program of Record, which will ensure our nation’s nuclear force is ready to meet the warfighting needs of today and tomorrow.”
GBSD will have increased performance, extended range, enhanced security and improved reliability to provide the United States with an upgraded and broader array of options to maintain a robust, flexible, tailorable and responsive nuclear deterrent.
A final basing decision will be made after a required environmental impact analysis.