Montana’s 150 missile sites in line for replacement as Chinese spy balloon questions remain

Montana’s 150 missile sites in line for replacement as Chinese spy balloon questions remain

Bartel is a state senator representing a district in Fergus County, an area with some of Malmstrom’s missile sites.

The Department of Defense has referenced these critical zones in its media briefings on the balloon in recent days. Meanwhile, the Department of Defense has been making plans for a massive overhaul of the nuclear missiles scattered across the state.

The upgrades are something Bartel is familiar with because 50 of those missile locations are in Fergus County.

He says the upgrades were set to start in 2025. Now that’s been pushed back, and talks about upgrades with the Air Force suddenly became radio silent.

“We’ve been told that the project has been pushed out. It’s been pushed out two years,” he said. “They are having some redesign issues with the missiles themselves.”