{"id":20855,"date":"2017-11-08T14:30:15","date_gmt":"2017-11-08T14:30:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/uncategorized\/2017\/11\/08\/trump-requests-a-4th-missile-defense-field-at-fort-greely\/"},"modified":"2026-08-07T21:57:36","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T21:57:36","slug":"trump-requests-a-4th-missile-defense-field-at-fort-greely","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/defensenews\/congress\/budget\/2017\/11\/08\/trump-requests-a-4th-missile-defense-field-at-fort-greely\/","title":{"rendered":"Trump requests a 4th missile defense field at Fort Greely"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

FAIRBANKS, Alaska \u2014 The Trump administration has asked Congress to fund a fourth missile defense silo field at Fort Greely in Alaska.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote a letter to Congress on Monday requesting $200 million to build the silo field, the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Greely is home to most of the United States\u2019 ground-based midcourse missile interceptors, which are designed to protect the United States by intercepting long-range missiles as they fly outside the atmosphere.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

[US installs final ground-based missile interceptor to counter ICBM threat<\/a>]<\/i><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis request supports additional efforts to detect, defeat and defend against any North Korean use of ballistic missiles against the United States, its deployed forces, allies or partners,\u201d Trump wrote.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Fort Greely has three silo fields with a capacity of 40 interceptors. The United States has four more silos at Vandenberg Air Force Base in California.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Trump\u2019s request is part of the $5.9 billion he wants added to this year\u2019s budget, $4 billion of which was requested for missile defense and North Korea-related military spending.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alaska\u2019s three-member congressional delegation praised Trump\u2019s proposed missile defense increase.<\/p>\n\n\n\t