How much would you pay to not get hit with a nuclear weapon? If you’re the U.S. Air Force (USAF), the price is at least $160 billion as it continues to develop the latest American form of nuclear deterrence, the LGM-35A Sentinel. A collaboration between Northrop Grumman and the Air Force Global Strike Command is seeing the latest American intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM). It is projected to far exceed its initial budget after oversights are leading the DoD into an expensive tab. Originally known as the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent, (GBSD), here’s how we got here. Also, here’s what the military is doing to curtail costs. Also, learn why we still need the ballistic missiles, regardless of the price.
The LGM-35A Sentinel Comes With a $160 Billion Price Tag
The LGM-35A Sentinel is the latest and greatest nuke that America is adding to its arsenal.
It’s also peace of mind, security in a time of uncertainty among superpowers, and several evolutions from what our nation is currently relying on, the aging Minuteman III.
These factors are why the LGM-35A Sentinel ICBM project will likely go far higher than its original budget.
The USAF didn’t realize how complex of a network would be necessary for the LGM-35A Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile. This includes places to launch, infrastructure on the ground, and more.
When the project began, the Air Force was focused on the missile alone. It is now learning just how much goes into making nuclear weapons a reality.
Right now, we have 450 Minuteman III nuclear weapons that are at the end of their lifespan.
Still, getting new ICBMs is proving to be an expensive, more complex-than-we-thought endeavor.
The U.S. needs to build new launch control centers in the Great Plains. This entails not only refurbishing silos but also replacing around 7,500 miles of copper cable.
In 2024, copper prices have risen to historical highs, making the costs of installing modern fiber optics in facilities much more expensive.
When The Pentagon set out to bring the Sentinel to life, the projected costs were under $78 billion. Now, they’ve more than doubled.
Not only are these reports shocking those within The Pentagon, but lawmakers are also scrambling for answers.
The prices were so high that a Nunn-McCurdy breach, which can occur when procurement increases are beyond certain thresholds, was triggered.
With that being said, officials may still be green-lighting the Sentinel program. However, The Pentagon is still only moving forward under the conditions of cutting costs.
Cutting Costs and Relearning Skills
So that expectations are reasonably met, it’s worth noting that The Pentagon may be restructuring but still expects developing the LGM-35A Sentinel to cost just under $141 million, around an 81% increase from its original goal.
Nevertheless, Benjamin Franklin once said that “a penny saved is a penny earned.” The USAF is now analyzing everything the ICBM requires to find places to save. This is an ongoing process that is going to take months to complete.
Part of the challenge simply lies in economic factors. This is at a time in which the Sentinel is needed to perform at a high level.
There’s no reason to spend billions of dollars on a weapon that isn’t up to the task. However, the task at hand also requires a lot of concrete, copper, labor, and other resources to make and maintain facilities capable of handling nuclear weapons.
Furthermore, the Air Force is realizing that the Minuteman III deployment in the early 1970s has left them a bit in the dark.
There have been underestimations as to what it would take to bring the LGM-35A Sentinel project to life. After all, you don’t replace a mass quantity of nuclear weapons every day.
The complexity of attacks, accuracy, speed, and other features of the ballistic missile means more support is necessary for its performance.
Now, more engineers are joining the project to help with cutting costs when possible.
One remaining factor that may still add more costs to the project remains to be seen as replacing nuclear weapons will mean the United States will need to find a way to dispose of hazardous material.
LGM-35A Sentinel Specs
The demands of deterring nuclear war continue to change. This is as the capabilities of superpower rivals, such as China, continue to advance.
Although it’s not a hypersonic missile, the USAF is going to get a major improvement to its ICBM arsenal with the weapon:
- It has a max speed of more than 5,500 km/h (over 4.6 Mach). The Sentinel can strike any target on the globe in 30 minutes.
- Using W87-0/Mk21 (300 kilotons of TNT) and W87-1/Mk21A thermonuclear warheads along with aeroshells, the missile is capable of ground-burst and/or air-burst fusing modes.
- Silos will launch the missile; however, the B-21 Raider is also up for the task.
- Using astro-inertial navigation and GPS, these guided missiles can find their target with precision.
Simply put, the weapons are great for nuclear deterrence. This is because they are fast, accurate, and deadly no matter where our enemies might be.
Despite the costs associated with the LGM-35A Sentinel, it’s still a cheaper option for maintaining the land portion of our nuclear triad and keeping America up-to-date through 2075.
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