Pentagon Seeks to Head Off Delays in Northrop Grumman’s New ICBM
- March 27 memo outlines plan to stem delays in Sentinel ICBM
- Northrop faces staff issues, material shortage, Pentagon says
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The Defense Department has begun an effort to prevent major delays in the Air Force’s new $96 billion intercontinental ballistic missile, after an internal review found it may miss its initial deployment goal of 2029 by two years.
The department is taking “prudent action” to reduce scheduling risks for the Sentinel ICBM, to be built by Northrop Grumman Corp., Undersecretary for Acquisition William LaPlante said in a three-page memo dated March 27. The memo’s contents, which haven’t been previously reported, were outlined in a Pentagon statement to Bloomberg News.