Ground Based Strategic Deterrent

The LGM-35 Sentinel, initially known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD), is a land-based intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) system under development for the United States Air Force. It was intended to replace all 450 Minuteman III missiles beginning in 2029, with service expected through 2075, but delays and cost overruns have pushed initial operational capability into the 2030s. The Minuteman III missiles are deployed in North Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana.
In 2020, the Department of the Air Force awarded Northrop Grumman a sole-source contract to develop the Sentinel after Boeing withdrew from the bidding process. Subcontractors include Lockheed Martin, General Dynamics, Bechtel, Honeywell, Aerojet Rocketdyne, Parsons, Textron, and others.
In January 2024, the Air Force announced that program costs had increased to over $125 billion, significantly exceeding the initial $78 billion estimate, and that deployment would be delayed by two years. The cost and schedule overrun was classified as "critical", triggering a Nunn–McCurdy review. Under Nunn–McCurdy, programs in critical status are presumed terminated unless the Department of Defense certifies...