Overview
- Northrop Grumman and the U.S. Air Force report the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile is on track for a first flight in 2027 with initial capability in the early 2030s.
- The team says it assembled the first three-stage booster, tested every propulsive element, and started producing solid rocket motors for the first five flight tests.
- Recent trials included two interstage separation tests, a shroud fly-off, and a sled test that exposed the guidance hardware to flight-like forces to check it will survive launch.
- Infrastructure work is underway with groundbreaking for a prototype launch silo tube, a cross-country verification of transport systems, and a critical design review of the Launch Support System, the launch command-and-control backbone.
- Northrop cites a digital design approach, a 500-plus supplier base, and $13.5 billion in recent investments, as the program replaces Minuteman III across more than 32,000 square miles in five states.