OMAHA, Neb. — U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) Commander Adm. Richard Correll expressed confidence here the United States will smoothly transition from the aging Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system to the Sentinel program, despite ongoing modernization challenges.
“So, Minuteman III was designed for a decade. It’s been operating for nearly six decades,” Correll said to reporters Wednesday at STRATCOM’s annual Deterrence Symposium. “Our intercontinental ballistic missiles represent — I’ve said this before — the longest… continuous generation of combat capability in the history of the world.”
Correll said he has “full faith and confidence” in the ability to sustain the Minuteman III fleet while moving toward Sentinel, the Air Force’s next-generation ICBM.
“My responsibility as the commander of STRATCOM is to work with the services and with Gen. [Dale] White, the direct report portfolio manager that has responsibility for delivering Sentinel for the department, to communicate precisely where risks manifest themselves,” Correll said.
Those risks could involve resources or personnel, Correll said, but the department has mechanisms to adjust as needed.
“We’ll continue to pay very close attention to that, and we will make a graceful transition from the Minuteman III capability to the Sentinel capability,” Correll said.
Correll added that he speaks with White on a weekly basis to synchronize efforts and track the program’s progress.
“I am confident that he is making all the right adjustments to deliver that capability effectively and in a timely manner,” Correll said. “I would reemphasize that I’m highly confident that he is accelerating the progress on Sentinel, and that he has the authorities and is laser focused on addressing any challenges in delivering the capability.”
The Sentinel program is intended to replace the Minuteman III system as part of the broader modernization of the U.S. nuclear triad. That is expected sometime in the 2030s while the Minuteman III is still commissioned.
The new missile will initially carry W87-0 warheads provided by the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in California, before transitioning to the W87-1 warheads being made at Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.