The Air Force tested an unarmed Mk21A reentry vehicle Oct. 9, launching it aboard a Minotaur I rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif., as part of the vehicle’s development.
The flight was an in-flight environmental test supporting development of the Mk21A, a new reentry vehicle that the Air Force plans to integrate onto a future Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), the service said in a press release.
Lockheed Martin is currently under contract for the Mk21A’s engineering and manufacturing development phase. The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center is leading the acquisition effort for the system.
“The Mk21A is crucial to modernizing our ICBMs in response to the rapidly changing global threat picture posed by our adversaries,” Maj. Gen. William Rogers, the Air Force portfolio acquisition executive for ICBMs and director of the Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center’s (AFNWC) ICBM Systems Directorate, said in a statement. “The reentry vehicle’s development will ensure a safe, secure and effective deterrent for generations to come.”
The Mk21A test unit was launched aboard a Minotaur I provided by Northrop Grumman. The U.S. Space Force’s Rocket Systems Launch Program oversaw the launch.
Minotaur launch vehicles are used to test and demonstrate payload technologies in operationally realistic environments, according to the Air Force.
The Mk21A is part of the Air Force’s broader effort to modernize the ICBM leg of the nuclear triad. The service is developing the Sentinel ICBM to replace the aging Minuteman III fleet.
“Investment in modernization of the ICBM mission remains a top priority for the Air Force,” Brig. Gen. Amanda Okeson, program manager for the AFNWC ICBM Systems Directorate, said.
The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center manages nuclear materiel acquisition for the service and supports Air Force Global Strike Command through Air Force Materiel Command.
