US tests Minuteman III as Sentinel successor ICBM programme struggles
An unarmed MMIII ICBM was launched from Vandenberg Space Force Base, California on 4 June. (Photo: US Space Force)
In service for nearly 60 years, the Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missile is due to be replaced by the Sentinel, but cost overruns and delays continue to plague this successor programme.
Earlier this week the USAF and US Space Force launched an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (MMIII ICBM) equipped with one re-entry vehicle. The test comes at a time when the Pentagon is evaluating how to progress with the Sentinel programme which has been experiencing cost overruns and delays.
The MMIII was first deployed in the 1960s. Over the last five decades, the USAF has conducted various life extension efforts to update its component systems.
The ICBM is expected to be replaced by the Sentinel, which should be delivered from 2029 to 2036. This effort comprises production of the missile
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