The F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne is one of three bases in the United States with an operational intercontinental ballistic missile system, and it’s due for an upgrade.
Northrop Grumman, along with Lockheed Martin and Boeing, are in the midst of a bidding process to get the job. Carol Erikson, Vice President of Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, visited Cheyenne Thursday to meet with local community leaders at the area Chamber of Commerce.
Northrop Grumman is not new to Cheyenne. They've been maintaining installations at F.E. Warren over the last fifty years, according to Erikson. She said the goal of the meeting was to learn more about opportunities and challenges associated with this new project.
“It’s all about making sure that we get the best system and that we get the input from the people using that system and living in the communities where those systems will be installed and getting that feedback very early in our design process,” said Erikson.
Two companies will be contracted for an initial three year design phase. Then in 2020, one company will be selected for the final implementation.
She added, “We wanted to come here today specifically to meet with the chamber and to hear from the chamber members any unique challenges or opportunities...and really start that dialogue that can then be incorporated into our activities as we go forward.”
But there’s still a lot of uncertainty about how the project will proceed and its impact on the local economy. Erikson said more details on local contractors to help complete the project will be released if and when Northrop Grumman gets the bid.
