Northrop Grumman to help keep Minuteman III going until 2040
An unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile launches during an operational test in 2019. (Photo: USAF/Airman 1st Class Hanah Abercrombie)
Minuteman engineering and programme management support deal is worth $2.31 billion.
The US Air Force Nuclear Weapons Center has awarded Northrop Grumman a $2.31 billion sole-source contract to provide Minuteman III engineering support and programme management support services.
The deal includes an 18.5-year ordering period for assistance to the intercontinental ballistic missile programme, meaning that work is expected to be completed by November 2040.
‘Work shall be in areas including, but not limited to sustaining engineering, maintenance engineering, modification of systems and equipment, hardware and software maintenance, developmental and production engineering, procurement, replenishment, repair and refurbishment’, the DoD announced on 20 April.
It added: ‘The primary focus shall be to identify ageing mechanism[s], anomalous behaviour, and ensure any modifications or changes to the system which shall maintain and/or improve system-level performance.’
Keeping all or part of the Minuteman III arsenal in service until 2040 means there will be some overlap with the new Ground Based Strategic Deterrent (GBSD) designed to replace the older ICBMs from the late 2020s.
As part of our promise to deliver comprehensive coverage to our Defence Insight and Premium News subscribers, our curated defence news content provides the latest industry updates, contract awards and programme milestones.
More from Defence Notes
-
![Incoming Irish government backs plans for larger defence force]()
Incoming Irish government backs plans for larger defence force
It has been more than six weeks since the Irish general election. After long negotiations, a coalition of two of the three largest parties and independents has resulted in a Programme for Government (PfG) which will form the basis of a government almost guaranteed to be formed on 22 January.
-
![Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent]()
Top-level commitments but no meat in UK Defence Industrial Strategy’s Statement of Intent
The initial document focused more on creating the right partnerships and inspiring investment in defence than on any details of how future UK Armed Forces would be armed.
-
![UK begins process on new industrial strategy]()
UK begins process on new industrial strategy
The first stage of developing a new UK Defence Industrial Strategy has highlighted failings in current structures with solutions expected to be proposed in next year’s full strategy.
-
![Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west]()
Romanians put pro-Russian candidate into presidential runoff even as the government spends west
Romania joined NATO more than two decades ago and the country is vital to the alliance’s geographic reach and its ability to supply Ukraine with weapons.
