https://sputnikglobe.com/20240715/us-focuses-on-keeping-old-minuteman-icbms-working-as-sentinel-delays-soar-1119381156.html
US Focuses on Keeping Old Minuteman ICBMs Working as Sentinel Delays Soar
US Focuses on Keeping Old Minuteman ICBMs Working as Sentinel Delays Soar
Sputnik International
The US Air Force is giving top priority to keeping its aging force of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) operational through the 2030s as delays and costs continue to soar out of control on the replacement Sentinel ICBM program
2024-07-15T16:30+0000
2024-07-15T16:30+0000
2024-07-15T16:30+0000
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us air force
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«Work needs to be done to ensure that Minuteman III sustainment is unbroken,» US Air Force Chief of Staff for Strategic Deterrence and Nuclear Integration Gen. Gebara told a Mitchell Aerospace Institute podcast. «Our Air Force is absolutely committed to ensuring that Minuteman is sustained until Sentinel stands [up].» Stages one, two and three of the upgraded and modernized Minuteman have been successfully test-fired already, Gebara said. The Sentinel is a three-stage intercontinental ballistic missile intended to replace the aging US arsenal of Minuteman III ICBMs by 2038, with the missile itself originally expected to be adopted by the US military around 2030. The missile is expected to carry several W87-1 thermonuclear warheads with a blast yield of 475 kilotons each, and have a range of at least 9,000 miles or 15,000 kilometers, according to published sources. However, the modified Sentinel program is now on track to cost $140.9 billion, an increase of 81% compared to a 2020 estimate, according to a recent official report.
https://sputnikglobe.com/20240713/us-left-eating-russias-dust-as-struggling-sentinel-icbm-program-cannot-catch-up-to-yars-and-sarmat-1119365878.html
2024
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us, us icbm, us minuteman, us sentinel, us air force, us department of defense, pentagon
us, us icbm, us minuteman, us sentinel, us air force, us department of defense, pentagon
WASHINGTON (Sputnik) – The US Air Force is giving top priority to keeping its aging force of Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBM) operational through the 2030s as delays and costs continue to soar out of control on the replacement Sentinel ICBM program, Gen. Andrew Gebara said on Monday.
Stages one, two and three of the upgraded and modernized Minuteman have been successfully test-fired already, Gebara said.
However, the modified Sentinel program is now on track to cost $140.9 billion, an increase of 81% compared to a 2020 estimate, according to a recent official report.
