Pentagon has not closed the LGM-35a Sentinel nuclear rocket project but the program will change
As reported on July 8 in Defense News, even "reasonably modified" version of Sentinel produced by Northrop Grumman is likely to cost $ 140. 9 billion, which is 81% more than the primary estimate of the program of 77. 7 billion. The Sentinel program will be implemented unchanged, and its probable cost will be about $ 160 billion. The Deputy Minister of Defense for Procurement and Support by William Lapant said that the increase in expenditures is due to several factors, but this is not an excuse.
He emphasized the importance of nuclear forces modernization to confront real threats. Sentinel is designed to replace the Minuteman III nuclear missile, whose service expires in a few years. The US official also ordered the Air Force to restructure the program to eliminate the main reasons for exceeding costs and to ensure the correct management structure to maintain a future price.
It is noted that most of the projected cost overruns accounts for the command and power segment of Sentinel, which covers rocket mines and related management centers. The modernization of this segment will be a major part of the cost control of the Air Force. According to Laplant, changes will include a decrease in the scale of starting installations to make them simpler and more economical.
This reduction will also shorten the transition from the Minuteman III system to new Sentinel installations. "New Sentinel objects will need more powerful communication infrastructure than 7500 miles of copper cables that are now used for Minuteman mines and starting centers," the Pentagon official quoted. They write that in the coming months it is planned to develop a plan for restructuring the program and enter a new stage, which will take from 18 to 24 months.