Air Force kicks off program to replace Minuteman III missiles.

AuthorMagnuson, Stew

The nation's top three military contractors will compete for a multi-billion dollar, decades-long program to replace the Air Force's fleet of Minuteman III nuclear missiles and to modernize its command-and-control systems.

The service pre-selected the three competitors--Boeing, Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin. A request for proposals is expected by the end of this summer. Two of those three will be selected for a technology maturation and risk reduction phase. The goal is to deliver the first batch of new missiles by 2029, according to Air Force documents.

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Chief of Staff of the Air Force Gen. David Goldfein, said: "Despite numerous upgrades to Minuteman III since it was first deployed in 1970, significant obsolescence and 26 sustainment challenges require development of a follow-on ICBM capability."

The ground-based strategic deterrence (GBSD) program "will resolve [Minuteman III] sustainment and aging issues, reduce total life-cycle costs and extend the U.S.'s ICBM capability out to 2075," he said in written responses to the Senate Armed Services Committee prior to his confirmation hearing.

The program is expected to cost $62 billion from 2015 through fiscal year 2044, the Congressional Research Service reported. That breaks down to about $14 billion for upgrades to command-and-control systems and launch centers, and $48.5 billion for new missiles.

All three competitors made a case for being the best contractor for the job.

John Karas, vice president of the ground-based strategic deterrent program at Lockheed Martin, said his company has a long track record of success in engineering, evolving and sustaining ballistic missile systems.

"We bring vast expertise to the design, development and fielding of the Air Force's and the Navy's next-generation strategic missile weapon systems, as well as the nation's missile defense systems. We are uniquely qualified to offer the government the most affordable, low-risk GBSD solution that meets all mission requirements," he said in an email.

Randy Belote, Northrop Grumman vice president of strategic communications, said the program aligns well with the company's core capabilities.

"Northrop Grumman has been a U.S. Air Force intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) mission partner for nearly 60 years. .. .The company has strong systems engineering skills; a track record for developing some of the most complex and innovative systems in the world; and a highly skilled, committed and innovative workforce that includes the next generation of missileers."

Both companies declined to make executives available for interviews pending the release of the RFR

Boeing executives, however, expanded on its qualifications for the program, in April at the Space Symposium in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The company has served as the ICBM prime contractor for more than 50 years. Craig Cooning, president of network and space systems at...

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