LGM-35A Sentinel | |
---|---|
![]() Concept rendering of the LGM-35A | |
Type | Intercontinental ballistic missile |
Place of origin | United States |
Service history | |
In service | 2030 or later[1] |
Used by | United States |
Production history | |
Manufacturer | Northrop Grumman |
Specifications | |
Warhead | W87 mod 0 thermonuclear warhead (300 kilotons of TNT (1,300 TJ)) W87 mod 1 thermonuclear warhead (unknown yield)[2] |
Detonation mechanism | Ground-burst and/or air-burst fusing modes |
Engine | Three-stage solid-fuel rocket |
Guidance system | astro-inertial + GPS |
Launch platform | Missile silo |
The LGM-35 Sentinel, also known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), is a future American land-based intercontinental ballistic missile system (ICBM) currently in the early stages of development.[3][4] It is slated to replace all 450 Minuteman III missiles from 2029 through 2075. The Minuteman missiles are currently stationed in North Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, and Nebraska.[3][5]
In 2020 the Department of the Air Force awarded defense contractor Northrop Grumman a $13.3 billion sole-source contract for development of the LGM-35 after Boeing withdrew its proposal. Northrop Grumman's subcontractors on the LGM-35 include Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Bechtel, Honeywell, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Parsons, Textron, and others.[6][7][8]
On January 19, 2024, the USAF announced that the program’s costs had risen to over $125 billion—37% above the initial $95.3 billion budget—and its deployment would be delayed by two years.[1][9] A revised cost estimate released by the Department of Defense on July 8, 2024, put total program acquisition costs for the Sentinel program at $140.9 billion.[10]
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