Trump announces Defense Department ‘super range’ for Montana
Trump said a new military range in Montana will test autonomous systems, space and electronic-warfare technology, and high-speed weapons, but he did not disclose its site, cost or schedule.
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday night that Montana will host a new Defense Department testing range for advanced weapons and military technology, unveiling the plan during a campaign rally in Kalispell on October 14, 2026.
Trump called the planned facility a “super range.” NBC News reported the announcement at 10:31 p.m. Eastern time and published video of the president’s remarks. Reuters separately reported that Trump said the advanced defense test range would be located in Montana.
What Trump announced
According to NBC’s account, Trump said the range would be used for work involving potential autonomous weapons, space and electronic-warfare technology, and supersonic and hypersonic systems. He said the project would help ensure that the U.S. military remains dominant.
The announcement identified the state but did not provide a precise location, construction timetable, budget, land area or opening date. Trump also did not name specific weapons programs that would use the range. Those unanswered questions make the announcement a policy commitment rather than a complete project plan.
Testing ranges can support multiple stages of military development, from evaluating sensors and communications to tracking fast-moving systems and assessing how technologies perform under operational conditions. The categories Trump listed span several different missions, so the eventual footprint and environmental review could depend heavily on the site and the tests the Pentagon proposes.
Montana’s existing defense role
Montana already has a substantial military presence. Malmstrom Air Force Base near Great Falls hosts the 341st Missile Wing and is central to the land-based nuclear deterrent. The Montana Air National Guard’s 120th Airlift Wing also operates from Great Falls.
A White House release issued before the rally highlighted separate construction and modernization work at Malmstrom. It said the Air Force and Army Corps of Engineers broke ground in May on a $26 million commercial entrance project that would clear the way for nearly $1 billion in Sentinel-related construction. The Sentinel program is intended to replace the Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile system.
The White House release did not describe the newly announced super range, and Trump did not say during the announcement that it would be part of Malmstrom or the Sentinel program. The existing work therefore provides context for Montana’s defense infrastructure but should not be treated as the site or mission of the new range without further confirmation.
Details still require Pentagon follow-through
Major military ranges normally require planning beyond a presidential announcement, including site selection, funding, airspace coordination and environmental analysis. Depending on the land involved, federal and state agencies, local governments, tribal nations and nearby communities could all have roles in the process.
The next material details would be a Defense Department siting decision, a budget request or contract notice, and an explanation of which service or agency will operate the facility. Until those are released, it is not possible to assess the range’s cost, schedule, local economic effects or environmental footprint.
Trump made the announcement while campaigning for Republican candidates in Montana during a Western swing ahead of the November midterm elections. The setting gave the president a state-specific defense initiative to promote, but the project’s scope will depend on the formal plans and appropriations that follow.
Sources and image credit
Reporting and video: NBC News live coverage and NBC News video. Independent report: Reuters. Background on current Montana defense work: White House release.
Image: U.S. Air Force photograph of Montana Air National Guard personnel and equipment, including an F-15 of the 186th Fighter Squadron, via Wikimedia Commons; public domain. The 2010 archival image is illustrative and does not depict the proposed range. It was cropped to 16:9; no text was added.