Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad

The Navy last week released a request for information for a congressionally mandated, nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile. The Navy published the request for information Nov. 15, seeking interest and resources to support the nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile (SLCM-N) all up round program. Responses are due by Dec. 9. The missile will be deployed on Virginia-class […]

The U.S. Space Force tested the intercontinental ballistic missile’s ability to strike targets with multiple warheads in a Minuteman III launch Tuesday at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. According to a press release by the Space Force base, an airborne command post controlled the  intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test. “These tests are demonstrative of what […]

The U.S. Space Force tested the intercontinental ballistic missile’s ability to strike targets with multiple warheads in a Minuteman III launch Tuesday at Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif. According to a press release by the Space Force base, an airborne command post controlled the  intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) test. “These tests are demonstrative of what […]

The first boat in the Columbia-class fleet of nuclear-armed submarines will cost several times more than the shipbuilder and Navy estimate, the Government Accountability Office said this week in a new audit report. Those overruns are in addition to delays already disclosed by the Navy in an April shipbuilding report, the Government Accountability Office said. […]

Senators proposed an amendment to the Senate’s version of the 2025 defense authorization bill to increase the number of F-35 developmental test aircraft for future upgrades from six to nine. The amendment would also push back the required fielding of the aircraft from 2030 to 2034. The planned amendment, by Senate Armed Services Committee chairman […]

Senate armed services committee chair Jack Reed (D-R.I) and ranking member Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) this week said they amended the committee’s 2025 National Defense Authorization Act to include language about the next silo-based, nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missile. The language, part of a large managers package of uncontroversial amendments, says that it is “sense of Congress” […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — The head of the U.S. Strategic Command on Wednesday told a roomful of military personnel to produce the nuclear weapons needed to counter pressure from Russia and China. “We now have two nuclear peers,” Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of United States Strategic Command, said in a panel on “the […]

The six-month continuing resolution voted down Wednesday in the House would have delayed completition of nuclear-powered submarines, among other things, the Secretary of the Navy wrote this week in a letter to congressional appropriators. In the letter, dated Sept. 12 and publicly released Monday, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro reiterated some points made […]

The six-month continuing resolution voted down Wednesday in the House would have delayed completition of nuclear-powered submarines, among other things, the Secretary of the Navy wrote this week in a letter to congressional appropriators. In the letter, dated Sept. 12 and publicly released Monday, Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro reiterated some points made […]

NATIONAL HARBOR, MD — The head of the U.S. Strategic Command on Wednesday told a roomful of military personnel to produce the nuclear weapons needed to counter pressure from Russia and China. “We now have two nuclear peers,” Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, commander of United States Strategic Command, said in a panel on “the […]

A member of the House subcommittee on strategic forces said Friday that the U.S. and allies must invest in its nuclear arms and missile defense to keep up with adversaries. “Every nuclear state run by an authoritarian regime is heavily increasing its weapons and capabilities,” Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said in the opening sentence to […]

The House speaker’s plan to extend federal agencies’ 2024 budgets into the first six months of fiscal year 2025 faced more opposition Tuesday from inside and outside of his own party. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin said in a letter to congressional appropriators, dated Sept. 7, that a six-month continuing resolution would put the schedule […]

A member of the House subcommittee on strategic forces said Friday that the U.S. and allies must invest in its nuclear arms and missile defense to keep up with adversaries. “Every nuclear state run by an authoritarian regime is heavily increasing its weapons and capabilities,” Rep. Mike Turner (R-Ohio) said in the opening sentence to […]

ARLINGTON, VA. — The Northrop Grumman-led Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program likely will get an updated cost and scheduled estimate in 1.5 to two years, an Air Force civilian official said at an industry conference here this week. The service announced in January that Sentinel had shattered projections put together in 2020 for the program’s […]

On Aug. 12, the U.S. Air Force told the Government Accountability Office that the service is canceling the potentially $12 billion Integrated Support Contract 2.0 for the Minuteman III and future nuclear-tipped, silo-based Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles. The service may re-examine intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) support requirements for a future contract. The Integrated Support Contract […]

On Aug. 12, the U.S. Air Force told the Government Accountability Office that the service is canceling the potentially $12 billion Integrated Support Contract 2.0 for the Minuteman III and future nuclear-tipped, silo-based Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles. The service may re-examine intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) support requirements for a future contract. The Integrated Support Contract […]

OMAHA — The U.S. should focus on the air- and sea-based legs of the nuclear triad rather than the land-based leg, a California member of the House Armed Services Committee said last week. “Should we spend $170-80 million on the triad, on the ground based ICBM system, or could we better achieve deterrence using the […]

OMAHA, Neb. — Lawrence Livermore National Securities is negotiating a five-year extension for the management contract of the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, the director told the Monitor last week. “We’re in the midst of negotiations now,” Kim Budil, director of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) in Livermore, Calif., told the […]

OMAHA — Uploading land-based intercontinental ballistic missiles would not push the National Nuclear Security Administration past its limits, the head of the U.S. Strategic Command told the Exchange Monitor here Tuesday. “We’ve been actually studying that for a couple of years now to see if that is something that would actually perturb what the NNSA […]

While the U.S. Air Force says it is restructuring the Sentinel next generation nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile program, Senate appropriators are recommending adding $200 million in funds in fiscal 2025. The Senate Appropriations Committee would bump the $3.7 billion Air Force request for the Northrop Grumman Sentinel to $3.9 billion. The added $200 million would […]

While the U.S. Air Force says it is restructuring the Sentinel next generation nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missile program, Senate appropriators are recommending adding $200 million in funds in fiscal 2025. The Senate Appropriations Committee would bump the $3.7 billion Air Force request for the Northrop Grumman Sentinel to $3.9 billion. The added $200 million would […]

WASHINGTON — Modernization of U.S. nuclear weapons and delivery systems is moving too slowly and the Pentagon has heard about it, Nebraska’s senior U.S. senator said here Tuesday at a think tank. “When we’re in classified briefings and I hear from the military and the department, they give me dates on when things are going […]

Huntington Ingalls Industries on Thursday posted what it called strong second quarter results driven by gains at its Mission Technologies segment with help from shipbuilding operations. Huntington Ingalls Industries’ (HII) net income in the second quarter rose 33% to $173 million, or $4.38 a share, from $130 million, or $3.27 a share, a year ago, […]

WASHINGTON — Modernization of U.S. nuclear weapons and delivery systems is moving too slowly and the Pentagon has heard about it, Nebraska’s senior U.S. senator said here Tuesday at a think tank. “When we’re in classified briefings and I hear from the military and the department, they give me dates on when things are going […]

The Sentinel modernization program is not only “absolutely necessary” but “might not be sufficient” for Europe’s defense, a Department of Defense official said last week at a virtual discussion after the NATO summit in Washington. “We cannot afford not to proceed with Sentinel,” Vipin Narang, Department of Defense acting assistant secretary of defense for space […]

The Sentinel modernization program is not only “absolutely necessary” but “might not be sufficient” for Europe’s defense, a Department of Defense official said last week at a virtual discussion after the NATO summit in Washington. “We cannot afford not to proceed with Sentinel,” Vipin Narang, Department of Defense acting assistant secretary of defense for space […]

Prime contractor Northrop Grumman will continue its work on the Air Force’s nuclear-tipped, silo-based LGM-35A Sentinel missile as the service and Pentagon acquisition chief William LaPlante consider how to restructure the program, an Air Force official said Monday. “Work can still continue under the contract that exists today,” Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, the Air Force’s […]

Prime contractor Northrop Grumman will continue its work on the Air Force’s nuclear-tipped, silo-based LGM-35A Sentinel missile as the service and Pentagon acquisition chief William LaPlante consider how to restructure the program, an Air Force official said Monday. “Work can still continue under the contract that exists today,” Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, the Air Force’s […]

President Joe Biden (D) signed a bill into law this week to ease deployment domestically and internationally of U.S. nuclear reactors and technology. The Advanced Nuclear for Clean Energy (ADVANCE) Act would reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s methods for issuing licenses and require the Department of Energy to study the global nuclear industry and tell […]

The Air Force’s next-generation nuclear-tipped, silo-based intercontinental ballistic missile will continue but will be drastically restructured amid further cost increases and schedule delays announced Monday by the Department of Defense. The new overall cost estimate for Sentinel is $140.9 billion: 81% higher than the September 2020 estimate when the program entered its manufacturing phase and […]