Why the Air Force Cares About Where Its Missiles Reside California-based ICBMs can strengthen deterrence against China, a strategy growing in importance given the extent to which China is known to be moving quickly on plans to double the size of its overall nuclear arsenal within just ten years. The Air Force is already finding locations for its now underway new Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), following news that both Hill Air Force Base in Utah and Vandenberg Air Force Base in California are potential housing sites for the weapon. The bases recently passed environmental assessments. A final environmental assessment determined that having the GBSD at those locations would have “no significant impact upon cultural or natural resources,” an Air Force TV report said. The report also cleared an Atol area in the Pacific region as a location for test demonstrations for both the GBSD and Minuteman III.