Delivery Systems & Nuclear Triad

The National Nuclear Security Administration may need to start qualifying the W87 warhead for service aboard Ground Based Strategic Deterrent Missiles in roughly three years, the Air Force’s program director for the next-generation nuke launcher said Thursday. The first test flights for the silo-based missiles that will replace Minuteman III will be in “three years […]

A non-government group using commercial satellite imagery believes it caught the start of structural construction on a new, highly-secure nuclear-weapon storage facility at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. “A satellite image taken in August and obtained from Maxar shows construction is well underway of the underground [Weapons Generation Facility (WGF)] as well as several […]

A non-government group using commercial satellite imagery believes it caught the start of structural construction on a new, highly-secure nuclear-weapon storage facility at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming. “A satellite image taken in August and obtained from Maxar shows construction is well underway of the underground [Weapons Generation Facility (WGF)] as well as several […]

According to a recently declassified report, the National Nuclear Security Administration thinks it will cost some $14.8 billion to build W87-1 warheads for the Ground Based Strategic intercontinental ballistic missiles planned to replace Minuteman III as the land-based leg of the nuclear triad starting around 2030.  That could make W87-1 — a newly manufactured copy […]

The Air Force’s program to acquire a new fleet of nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, which fast became a one-horse race that Northrop Grumman won, is a model for the sort of procurement ethos that will help the U.S. acquire new weapons as fast as China, the commander of U.S. nuclear forces said Monday. “China can […]

The Air Force’s program to acquire a new fleet of nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles, which fast became a one-horse race that Northrop Grumman won, is a model for the sort of procurement ethos that will help the U.S. acquire new weapons as fast as China, the commander of U.S. nuclear forces said Monday. “China can […]

As expected, the Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to build the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, the next generation of nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, under a nine-year contract worth $13.3 billion. The Air Force announced the new contract late Monday. Northrop’s stock got a boost Wednesday after the news, but the per-share price has since slid […]

The Air Force’s award on Tuesday to Northrop Grumman [NOC] of a contract for the next-generation ICBM system for the Air Force has given teammate L3Harris Technologies [LHX] an entrée into the service’s training market for global strike systems, L3Harris said on Wednesday. L3Harris said it will do system and software design for at least eight training systems, building […]

The White House’s request to Congress for exemptions to be included in a likely stopgap spending measure covers procurement of two Columbia-class submarines and development of the W93 submarine-launched nuclear warhead, according to documents. The list of “anomalies” for a continuing resolution arrives as the administration and congressional leadership have agreed on a tentative deal […]

As expected, the Air Force has awarded Northrop Grumman a contract to build the Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent, the next generation of nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, under a nine-year contract worth $13.3 billion over nine years.  The Air Force announced the new contract late Monday. Last year, the service ballparked the award at around $25 billion. […]

The Navy’s top acquisition official, James Geurts, told reporters last week if there is a continuing resolution (CR) before the next budget is finalized, the service would need an anomaly to keep the Columbia ballistic missile submarine program on schedule. It has become a near-certainty that Congress will need at least one stopgap measure to […]

By Frank Wolfe Defense Daily The U.S. Air Force on Sept. 2 awarded Northrop Grumman a $135 million contract for refurbishment of the inertial navigation system of the Boeing AGM-86B Air-Launched Cruise Missile (ALCM). “Work encompasses the disassembly, cleaning, inspection, maintenance, re-assembly, testing and finishing actions as required to return the end item to a […]

The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) on Wednesday morning officially green-lit the Los Alamos National Laboratory to make 30 war-ready warhead cores in 2026 for next-generation intercontinental ballistic missiles. Under the long-expected decision, the northern New Mexico weapon-design laboratory “will produce a minimum of 30 war reserve pits per year for the national pit production […]

Nobody is planning to put a hypersonic glide vehicle on the next U.S. intercontinental ballistic missile, but that doesn’t mean it could never happen, according to careful statements Wednesday by the Air Force general who advises the service’s leadership about nuclear weapons. The Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), silo-based missiles slated to replace the Minuteman III […]

Air Force and Navy service members aboard an airplane on Tuesday remotely launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile with three unarmed warheads from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. “A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen and Navy sailors launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with three test […]

Air Force and Navy service members aboard an airplane on Tuesday remotely launched a Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile with three unarmed warheads from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California. “A joint team of Air Force Global Strike Command Airmen and Navy sailors launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile equipped with three test […]

Bolstered by generally solid results across its operating segments, Northrop Grumman on Thursday reported higher sales and earnings in its second quarter and the company raised its outlook for the top and bottom lines for 2020. in a quarterly call with investors, Kathy Warden, the company’s chairman, president, and chief executive officer, said the company […]

Boeing on Wednesday reported a loss in its second quarter, but not quite as bad as a year ago, as sales fell sharply on fewer commercial aircraft deliveries due to continued weakness in the 737 MAX passenger jet program, temporary shutdowns of some facilities in the spring, and the ongoing impacts to airlines from the novel […]

Raytheon Technologies on Tuesday said it swung to a loss in the second quarter largely due to a slump in commercial aerospace triggered by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The company’s defense businesses performed well. The commercial outlook remains weak and the company has achieved its cost savings synergies for the year. Sales in the quarter […]

The Navy portion of the House Armed Services Committee’s draft of the fiscal 2021 defense authorization bill approved Tuesday would add two vessels over the Senate version and argued a second attack submarine is needed to maintain the Columbia-class schedule. The final HASC markup recommends authorizing the first Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine, two Arleigh Burke-class DDG-51 destroyers, one […]

The Navy on Monday awarded General Dynamics Electric Boat an $869 million modification for continued Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN) procurement work, with an added price option for the first two submarines that would increase the total contract value to $9.5 billion. Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development, and Acquisition James Geurts told reporters during a […]

Lockheed Martin on Monday completed its planned leadership transition, with James Taiclet entering as its new president and CEO. He succeeds Marillyn Hewson, who remains with the company as executive chairman. Taiclet, 60, will continue to serve on the company’s board, which he joined in 2018. Before leading Lockheed Martin, Taiclet was chairman, president, and CEO […]

As it holds out hope for some role in building the next generation of U.S. nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, Boeing continues modernizing parts of the existing fleet, including adding the ability to remotely update launch codes at all 450 missile silos. The maker of the current Minuteman III fleet, which in 2019 exited the Air Force […]

As it holds out hope for some role in building the next generation of U.S. nuclear-tipped intercontinental ballistic missiles, Boeing continues modernizing parts of the existing fleet, including adding the ability to remotely update launch codes at all 450 missile silos. The maker of the current Minuteman III fleet, which last year exited the Air Force […]

The latest issue of the annual Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessment of major defense acquisition programs outlined remaining risks to the design and on-time production of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). In its Defense Acquisition Annual Assessment, published June 3, the GAO noted while the Navy reports the nuclear reactor technology as mature since […]

The latest issue of the annual Government Accountability Office (GAO) assessment of major defense acquisition programs outlined remaining risks to the design and on-time production of the Columbia-class ballistic missile submarine (SSBN). In its Defense Acquisition Annual Assessment, published June 3, the GAO noted while the Navy reports the nuclear reactor technology as mature since 2018, “several […]

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, vendors to Columbia-class prime General Dynamics Electric Boat might be a few months late delivering missile tubes for the next-generation ballistic missile submarine, the Navy’s program executive officer said Monday. “[T]hat did hit us hard on the missile tubes, to the extent of probably a couple months delay in the […]

The Senate confirmed Kenneth Braithwaite as the next secretary of the Navy via voice vote on May 21. Braithwaite, who previously served as the U.S. ambassador to Norway, succeeds acting Secretary Thomas Modly, who resigned in April amid criticism of his removal of the commander of the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt, Capt. Brett Crozier. Army Undersecretary […]

The Air Force recently completed the preliminary design review (PDR) for the Northrop Grumman-developed Ground-Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) in late April. The PDR took place April 28-30 and is the latest major programmatic milestone for the service to undertake virtually, including over classified computer networks, as many program personnel work limited hours or from home […]

The Air Force contract to build more than 600 new commercial engines to power the aging, nuclear-capable B-52 bomber through the 2050s will run 17 years, with six years of firm money, according to a solicitation released Tuesday. The service’s Commercial Engine Replacement Program calls for 608 new commercial engines, plus additional spare engines and […]