US will keep new Sentinel ICBM despite rising costs

Significance Years of rising costs and missed deadlines have culminated in the Air Force having to justify continuing with its new LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM, which is intended to renew the land-based component of the US strategic ‘triad’ alongside nuclear-carrying submarines and aircraft. Impacts Sentinel setbacks have renewed proposals to extend the life of the current Minuteman ICBM fleet or phase out land-based ICBMs altogether. The Air Force will likely retain some Minutemen, despite long opposing this option, until the entire Sentinel fleet becomes operational. Some forecasts suggest total costs of deploying and maintaining the Sentinel to 2075 could exceed USD300bn, excluding inflation.