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.
Nuclear experts from three different think tanks argue that it's time to take the idea of mobile launchers for America's ICBMs seriously.
On day three of AFA, a senior Air Force official acknowledged the US didn't see Israel's strike in Qatar coming.
Things that go into orbit led the news at day two of the AFA conference.
Air Force Program Executive Officer for ICBMs Brig. Gen. William Rogers said he has “every intention” of fully fielding the forthcoming Sentinel missile ahead of 2050.
“Today's GAO report confirms that we desperately need an independent review to hold Pentagon officials accountable for wasting and mismanaging billions of taxpayer dollars,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren told Breaking Defense.
The team talks about a couple recent scoops on the Navy's secretive drone wingman program and the transition to Sentinel ICBMs.
The service said that requirements to keep 400 nuclear missiles on alert will not be impacted by the shuttering of a silo located at F.E. Warren Air Force Base in Wyoming.
The troubled ICBM program was supposed to fly for the first time in 2026, but now the Air Force says that the date is unknown.
“Part of the requirements, initially — ten years ago when this program was started — was to reuse the holes, the missile holes at the launch facilities,” said Air Force Gen. Thomas Bussiere. “Shockingly enough, if we look at it, that may not be the answer.”
Explore how networked warfare, AI, and 3D-printed drones are reshaping US Indo-Pacific strategy.
The US bomber fleet has been off alert since 1991, but the nuclear threats of China, Russia and North Korea means it's time to go back to the Cold War posture, argue two nuclear power advocates.
“I think there are elements of the ground infrastructure where there may be opportunities for competition that we can add to the acquisition strategy for Sentinel," said Andrew Hunter, the Air Force's top acquisition official.
A new watchdog report warns of a year-long delay for America's next ICBM, as well as potential schedule slips for F-15EX, KC-46A and the Air Force One replacement.
The new reentry vehicle will be mounted on the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile, with the goal of awarding a contract in fiscal 2026.