Boeing developed the Minuteman during the late 1950s, during the height of the Cold War. This was a groundbreaking concept at the time, as it provided the United States with the ability to attack its enemies from fortified silos spread throughout the country.
These missiles have an impressive range of 6,000 miles (9,600 km) and travel at incredibly fast speeds of 15,000 mph (24,000 kph) thanks to a three-stage setup with solid-propellant rocket motors.
However, adapting the Minuteman to meet modern requirements and maintaining the current inventory has become increasingly challenging and costly. Since 1978, no new Minuteman missiles have been produced.
To address this issue, the U.S. Air Force initiated the Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) program in 2020 to find a replacement for the ICBMs. The chosen replacement is the LGM-35A Sentinel, which has been known for some time.
The naming of the Sentinel follows the same pattern as the Minuteman, with “L” indicating silo-launched, “G” representing ground attack, and “M” standing for guided missile. The number 35A represents the series and version of the missile.
We have previously discussed the Sentinel, as Northrop Grumman, the main contractor for the project, occasionally reveals minor details. This week, the company announced the successful completion of tests on several crucial elements of the ICBM.
These tests follow the first test fire of the missile’s second stage earlier this year. The recent tests took place at the Strategic Missile Test and Production Complex in Promontory, Utah, focusing on the forward and aft sections of the Sentinel.
Specific details of the tests have not been disclosed, but Northrop Grumman stated that the results confirmed the accuracy of their modeling predictions and demonstrated the missile’s performance during flight.
The exact timeline for the replacement of the existing fleet with the new ICBM is still uncertain. However, the U.S. military plans to utilize the Sentinel until at least 2075.
The Sentinels will be designed to be modular, allowing for the incorporation of new technologies as they develop. Furthermore, they are expected to be easier and more cost-effective to maintain and operate compared to the Minuteman.
According to the Source autoevolution.com