Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad

The leader of U.S. Strategic Command now counts a nuclear-tipped sea-launched cruise missile among his “critical” nuclear modernization efforts, alongside a new stealth bomber, ballistic missile submarines and intercontinental ballistic missiles.  Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton has, until Thursday, avoided specifically endorsing development of a nuclear-capable sea-launched cruise missile, or SLCM-N. He has said that […]

Nuclear Naval reactor maker BWX Technologies is out of the submarine missile tube building business after completing its contracted work for the U.S. Navy and allied fleets in 2023, the company’s chief executive said on Feb. 27.  BWXT makes Common Missile Compartment tubes at its factory in Mount Vernon, Ind. The tubes are designed to […]

Several recent tests of the Air Force’s land-based, LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., reflect “significant progress” in the weapon’s engineering, manufacturing and development phase, missile prime Northrop Grumman said Tuesday. “Forward and aft sections of a Sentinel ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile ] missile were evaluated through a […]

Several recent tests of the Air Force’s land-based, LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, Calif., reflect “significant progress” in the weapon’s engineering, manufacturing and development phase, missile prime Northrop Grumman said Tuesday. “Forward and aft sections of a Sentinel ICBM [intercontinental ballistic missile ] missile were evaluated through a […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Strategic Command may accelerate and increase its buys of Raytheon-made AGM-181 Long Range Standoff Weapon cruise missiles beyond the 1,087 now planned, commander Gen. Anthony Cotton said here on Feb. 2. Asked if the command was examining those options, given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s posturing about using low-yield nuclear weapons after his […]

WASHINGTON — U.S. Strategic Command may accelerate and increase its buys of Raytheon-made AGM-181 Long Range Standoff Weapon cruise missiles beyond the 1,087 now planned, commander Gen. Anthony Cotton said here Friday. Asked if the command was examining those options, given Russian President Vladimir Putin’s posturing about using low-yield nuclear weapons after his invasion of […]

Senators call out Sentinel delays, overruns in WSJ op-edTwo Republican Senators, both senior members of influential defense committees, on Friday published an op-ed airing concerns that U.S. nuclear modernization is lagging behind its adversaries, particularly the LGM-35 Sentinel. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Deb Fischer […]

The Air Force is examining how to reduce the massive civil works project costs that make up a significant part of the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel future ICBM program, service officials said Wednesday. The service last week informed Congress of a 37% unit cost Nunn-McCurdy program breach — an increase in unit cost per missile […]

The Air Force is examining how to reduce the massive civil works project costs that make up a significant part of the Northrop Grumman LGM-35A Sentinel future ICBM program, service officials said Wednesday. The service last week informed Congress of a 37% unit cost Nunn-McCurdy program breach — an increase in unit cost per missile […]

Two Republican Senators, both senior members of influential defense committees, on Friday published an op-ed airing concerns that U.S. nuclear modernization is lagging behind its adversaries, particularly the LGM-35 Sentinel. Senators Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) the highest-ranking Republican on the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) the top Republican on the SASC Strategic […]

Northrop Grumman has conducted a live, static-fire test of a stage-two solid rocket motor for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tenn., the company announced Jan. 16. Northrop is the Air Force’s Sentinel prime contractor and is responsible for building the solid rocket motor for […]

Northrop Grumman has conducted a live, static-fire test of a stage-two solid rocket motor for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile at the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Complex in Tullahoma, Tenn., the company announced Jan. 16. Northrop is the Air Force’s Sentinel prime contractor and is responsible for building the solid rocket motor for […]

After a year of mounting uncertainty in the effort to upgrade the land-based leg of the U.S. nuclear triad, the Air Force did not test fire the new Northrop Grumman-built LGM-35 Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile in 2023. Reached this week by the Exchange Monitor, spokespersons for the Air Force and Northrop Grumman declined to answer […]

The agreed-upon conference report on the 2024 must-pass defense policy bill includes a requirement for the Defense Department and National Nuclear Security Administration to develop a nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missile.  As for funding levels, DOE nuclear weapons and nuclear weapons cleanup programs would be authorized for roughly the requested levels. Within three months of its […]

The U.S. Air Force is prepared to put multiple nuclear warheads atop its new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles if called to do so, according to the officer in charge of fielding the new missile.  Brig. Gen. Colin Connor, the Air Force’s director of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) modernization, said on Wednesday that the new LGM-35 […]

The U.S. Air Force is prepared to put multiple nuclear warheads atop its new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missiles if called to do so, according to the officer in charge of fielding the new missile.  Brig. Gen. Colin Connor, the Air Force’s director of intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) modernization, said on Wednesday that the new LGM-35 […]

France successfully test-fired an M51.3 long-range submarine-launched ballistic missile, without a nuclear warhead aboard, over the Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 18. The test firing was conducted by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) from the Ballistic Launch Site (BLB) in Biscarrosse in southwest France. The flight comes just seven months after the successful acceptance test […]

France successfully test-fired an M51.3 long-range submarine-launched ballistic missile, without a nuclear warhead aboard, over the Atlantic Ocean on Nov. 18. The test firing was conducted by the General Directorate of Armaments (DGA) from the Ballistic Launch Site (BLB) in Biscarrosse in southwest France. The flight comes just seven months after the successful acceptance test […]

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says he is concerned about Northrop Grumman’s ability to develop the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile on time and that the program to replace the current Minuteman III fleet is “struggling.” Northrop’s B-21 Raider strategic stealth bomber, however, is doing “fine,” he said in a Nov. 13 forum in […]

U.S. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall says he is concerned about Northrop Grumman’s ability to develop the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile on time and that the program to replace the current Minuteman III fleet is “struggling.” Northrop’s B-21 Raider strategic stealth bomber, however, is doing “fine,” he said in a Nov. 13 forum in […]

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Hill Air Force Base in Utah has awarded Lockheed Martin a $996 million, 16-year contract for the Mark 21A reentry vehicle, which will carry nuclear weapons on the planned LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. The contract “provides for conducting engineering, manufacturing, and design to provide a low technical […]

The Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center at Hill Air Force Base in Utah has awarded Lockheed Martin a $996 million, 16-year contract for the Mark 21A reentry vehicle, which will carry nuclear weapons on the planned LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. The contract “provides for conducting engineering, manufacturing, and design to provide a low technical […]

The Navy has successfully launched the 191st Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile during a shakedown cruise of the USS Louisiana, marking the boat’s readiness for deployment.  Northrop Grumman, which builds the solid rocket motors that power the Trident, announced the successful launch on Oct. 2. The test was one element of the Navy’s Demonstration […]

The recent short-term continuing resolution that averted a government shutdown Sunday allows the Navy to start construction on its next nuclear-powered, nuclear-armed ballistic missile submarine. The stopgap, which funds the government through Nov. 17, generally holds funding for government programs steady. However, the Navy got what is known as an anomaly that allows the service […]

The Navy has successfully launched the 191st Trident II D5 submarine-launched ballistic missile during a shakedown cruise of the USS Louisiana, marking the boat’s readiness for deployment.  Northrop Grumman, which builds the solid rocket motors that power the Trident, announced the successful launch on Oct. 2. The test was one element of the Navy’s Demonstration […]

Lockheed Martin wants to build solid rocket motors to compete with the military’s two current main suppliers,  Northrop Grumman’s Orbital ATK and L3Harris’ Aerojet Rocketdyne. “We are endeavoring as a defense company to create another supplier,” James Taiclet, the president of Lockheed Martin, testified at a Sept. 20 hearing of the House Armed Services Committee’s […]

The Air Force expects to certify the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to carry nuclear weapons in January, once sufficient numbers of pilots and ground crew are trained to carry out the mission. But it may not have the jets, equipped with the proper avionics and mission systems, needed to perform the nuclear mission until several […]

The Air Force expects to certify the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter to carry nuclear weapons in January, once sufficient numbers of pilots and ground crew are trained to carry out the mission. But it may not have the jets, equipped with the proper avionics and mission systems, needed to perform the nuclear mission until several […]

U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command and the U.S. Space Force’s 30th Space Launch Delta Guardians launched an unarmed Boeing Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with three test re-entry vehicles on Sept. 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. “The ICBM’s reentry vehicle traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands,” […]

U.S. Air Force Global Strike Command and the U.S. Space Force’s 30th Space Launch Delta Guardians launched an unarmed Boeing Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with three test re-entry vehicles on Sept. 6 from Vandenberg Space Force Base. “The ICBM’s reentry vehicle traveled approximately 4,200 miles to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands,” […]