Air Force has halted work on parts of its ICBM program
Summary
“Due to evolving launch facility requirements in the Command & Launch segment, the Air Force directed the Northrop Grumman Corporation to suspend the design, testing, and construction work related to the Command & Launch Segment, specifically [Launch Facility]-26 at Vandenberg SFB, CA, the Peacekeeper LF at Hill AFB, UT, the Physical Security Systems Test Facility at Dugway, UT, LF derivative training devices (including the Maintenance Training Facility and Security Forces Tactics Trainer at each missile wing), and the LF Standard Design.” The program’s restructuring was announced last July after Sentinel’s projected costs ballooned to $141 billion, 81 percent beyond initial estimates, and after Pentagon officials said there is no viable alternative to pressing ahead with the program. And even though they have paused work on some small infrastructure efforts in the command and launch segment, that is reflected in what we have shared with you,” Warden said during the company’s fourth-quarter earnings call. Northrop is working with the government during the restructuring phase and in the meantime, the company is “performing and meeting important milestones” on the engineering and manufacturing development contract, she said. Last year, Air Force officials floated the idea of saving money by stripping out some construction work and opening it up to competition. In recent testimony, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth voiced support for the effort, stating that it is critical to maintain and modernize all three legs of the nuclear triad—Sentinel, the Columbia-class submarine, and the B-21 bomber.