The Air Force believes it could continue to operate its Minuteman III missiles until 2050 if needed, according to a newly released report from the Government Accountability Office—but doing so poses serious challenges to sustain their aging technology.
ICBM Modernization and Sustainment


ICBM Modernization and Sustainment
The Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile's second stage rocket performed largely as predicted by digital models in a recent vacuum chamber test, the Air Force and Northrop Grumman said, laying the groundwork for further testing that will allow the company to finalize the stage’s design in ...
Air Force Pushes Ahead with 2 Hypersonic Missile Programs By John A. Tirpak The Air Force’s Hypersonic Attack Cruise Missile (HACM) is delayed and may significantly overrun its expected cost, which could partially explain why the service is reviving the...
A work pause on the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program is over, and Northrop Grumman has moved into negotiations with the Air Force about accelerating B-21 bomber production, company officials said July 22.
The Air Force diverted what it says was excess funding from its delayed new nuclear missile program to modify a former Qatari royal jet for use as President Donald Trump’s Air Force One, the service’s top civilian said June 26.
The Air Force is ready to add more nuclear warheads to its bomber aircraft and underground missiles if ordered to do so when a key arms control treaty expires next year, its top nuclear officer said June 5.
The Air Force tested an unarmed Minuteman III ICBM from Vandenberg Space Force Base, Calif,. at 12:01 a.m. Pacific Time May. 21. The successful test saw the missile equipped with a single reentry vehicle travel more than 4,200 miles to strike a test site near ...
The design of the launch facilities for the Air Force’s new Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile are likely to undergo major revision, posing yet another challenge for the much-delayed and over-budget program to modernize the land-based component of America’s nuclear triad, officials said.
The Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile program will not be delayed by the explosion of a building at Northrop Grumman’s Promontory, Utah, complex which makes solid rocket motors, the company said.