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| US Tests First Phase of Sentinel Nuclear Ballistic Missile Rocket, Substitute for Minuteman III |
International Military - Northrop Grumman successfully completed the first full-scale static fire firing test of a single-stage solid rocket motor for the LGM-35A Sentinel ballistic missile. The rocket will be used to replace the US Air Force's Minuteman III nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). The first stage of the live-fire test was conducted at Northrop's facility in Promontory, Utah.
Preliminary findings indicated that the motor ran for the expected duration and within the predicted performance parameters. “This static API (test) highlights the advances we have made in digital engineering and gives us confidence in being able to translate that into real action. This hardware testing continues to advance the flight testing path," said Sarah Willoughby, vice president of Sentinel, Northrop Grumman.
Since the 1960s, the United States' strategic defense has relied on a nuclear triad consisting of heavy bombers, ballistic missile submarines, and land-based ICBMs carrying nuclear warheads. The strategy behind this is to deal with potential adversaries with three different systems based in three different domains.
Since 1970, the ground-based leg of the triad has consisted of approximately 450 Minuteman III ballistic missiles located in a hardened underground bunker in the center of the continental United States. While these have been maintained and improved over the years, they are reaching the end of their lifespan and from 2029 they will be phased out.
The Sentinel ballistic missile is designed to require fewer operating personnel than the Minuteman III. In addition, the Sentinel ballistic missile requires less maintenance and is less expensive with a 50-year operational budget of $264 billion.
The three-stage launcher carries the 300-kiloton W87-0 warhead and from 2030 will be armed with the W87-1 with results yet to be determined. The basic design of the Sentinel ballistic missile is modular with open architecture software. This structure will make it easier to maintain and upgrade while encouraging competition by defense contractors.
Northrop Grumman is responsible for developing the first and second stages of Sentinel. When the complete missile is assembled, it will then be flight tested at Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and at Vandenberg Space Force Base (VSFB), California. "We are continuing to finalize the Sentinel design and moving towards a critical design review," said Sarah Willoughby.