Would South Dakota Be A First Hit Target In A Nuclear War?

South Dakota might seem like an unlikely nuclear target, with its wide-open prairies and small population centers. However, military strategists tell a different story.

South Dakota is home to Ellsworth Air Force Base near Rapid City, a critical strategic asset housing B-1B Lancer bombers.

This installation alone makes South Dakota a potential priority target in any large-scale nuclear conflict.

Military bases with nuclear-capable aircraft have historically been high on target lists.

South Dakota was once dotted with hundreds of Minuteman missile silos during the Cold War.

While these have been deactivated and decommissioned, the state's sparse population and central location made it ideal for nuclear infrastructure.

In a full-scale nuclear exchange, targeting priorities typically include:

• ICBM silos and launch facilities
• Strategic bomber bases
• Command and control centers
• Major population centers
• Industrial and economic hubs

While South Dakota wouldn't likely be among the very first targets, those would be command centers, and the largest cities, as well as Ellsworth Air Force Base, could certainly be targeted in the early waves of an attack.

The reality is sobering: South Dakota's military installations mean the state isn't as isolated from nuclear war risks as its geography might suggest.