Forge ahead with the Sentinel ICBM, but consider making it mobile
Nuclear experts from three different think tanks argue that it's time to take the idea of mobile launchers for America's ICBMs seriously.
Sentinel ICBM work to continue while Air Force restructures to cut sky-high costs
Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, Air Force head of nuclear deterrence, stressed that work to develop the Sentinel missile itself by prime contractor Northrop Grumman has been proceeding fairly well.
The state of play in military space
The military space sector is evolving fast. Get the latest from Space Force and industry officials on what’s next for acquisition, policy and training in a new Breaking Defense eBook.
Missile Defense Agency’s new long-range radar steps toward full deployment
"The LRDR completed a Space Domain Awareness (SDA) data collect event in January 2024 that proved the SDA capability, and the U.S. Space Force and MDA are in the process of formally declaring LRDR ready for SDA early use in April 2024," according to MDA Director Lt. Gen. Heath Collins.
Air Force awards Lockheed $1 billion for new ICBM reentry vehicle
The new Mk21A reentry vehicle will be mounted atop the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile and will carry an updated nuclear warhead known as the W87-1.
‘Upped the ante’: North Korean ICBM launch prompts fears of escalation
"The question is," asks Jenny Town of the Stimson Center, "how to step down from this ledge before an accident escalates into something much more dangerous?"
China calls for new ‘strategic guidance’ at 20th Party Congress
China analyst Dean Cheng breaks down the key military aspects of Chinese leader Xi Jinping's statements at the recent Party Congress.
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Data overload threatens decisionmakers as autonomy expands
Reducing cognitive overload on warfighters while improving “time to trust” for autonomous systems is a matter of design.
No US missile defense system proven capable against ‘realistic’ ICBM threats: Study
Missile Defense Agency pushes back, pointing Breaking Defense to positive report from Pentagon tester, laudatory comments from senior military officials and recent test wins.
Hypersonic Space Test Fuels Sino-American Arms Race
"We need to recognize that we can no longer operate in the somewhat static 'spy vs spy' conditions of the Cold War and that we are dealing with a technologically advanced and ever-adapting adversary who has both the know-how and funding to continually push us on every front," former Pentagon official Doug Loverro said.
After China’s ‘Hypersonic’ Test, US Alarm And Many Unanswered Questions
The reported Chinese system was hinted at by Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall in an earlier speech, a source said, but Kendall now says his words were just a coincidence.
US Momentum Grows For Push To Start Strategic Talks With China
"It is going to take us 10 to 15 years to modernize 400 silos that already exist. And China is basically building almost that many overnight. So the speed of difference in that threat is what really concerns me most," Gen. John Hyten, vice chairman of the Joint Chiefs says.
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Turning R&D into reality to meet the challenges of the modern battlefield
Knowing when to build on commercial systems and when to develop something new can be the difference between parity and information dominance.
Production Delays For Boeing’s MH-139A: Air Force
While there are no "major technical hurdles," an Air Force officer said a redesign for a sensor faring is needed.
China’s Nuclear Forces Swell: A Tri-Polar World?
The combination of a modern long-range bomber (the H-20), and an expanded seaborne ballistic missile force, as well as this massive inflation of the land-based ICBM component, makes China’s nuclear forces look far more like their “hegemonic” counterparts in Russia and the United States than the minimal or limited deterrent presented by French or British nuclear forces.
Chinese Nuke Modernization Prompts Shift In DoD Strategy
"The growing diversity of the Chinese nuclear threat and its mixing in with conventional forces creates complexity for US commanders. It is also unclear what conditions would lead to PRC nuclear use, since their arsenal is growing and creating more options," Bryan Clark of the Hudson Institute says.
AUSA Fires Back At Air Force: Long-Range Missiles Aren’t ‘Stupid’
The benefit of diverse and effective long-range precision fires was reinforced by then-U.S. Pacific Command Commander Navy Adm. Harry Harris, who challenged the Army to develop more lethal, long-range precision fires that could not only engage adversary land targets, but also sink ships at sea.